262 CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



find out whom he has been under while a stable lad, 

 for if he has been under a smart, sober man the odds 

 are that he will also be smart and sober. But also 

 find out whether he is willing to learn, for many 

 young grooms who come from large stables think 

 that they have already learnt everything which there 

 is to be learnt. Let him make suggestions to his 

 master by all means, but never under any circum- 

 stances let him dictate, or very soon the position of 

 master and man will be reversed. Another point 

 which I would impress upon my readers is that a 

 good groom likes to see his master constantly in the 

 stables, for it proves to him that the master takes an 

 interest in his work. If a groom evinces a dislike 

 to seeing his master about the stables, you may 

 be sure that there is something which he wishes to 

 conceal. 



It is seldom that a man who keeps himself and his 

 stables smart, and " does " his horses well, drinks 

 more than is good for him ; yet how often does a 

 man who starts well in a new service and has 

 hitherto held an excellent character for sobriety take 

 to drink ! Obviously the reason is bad companion- 

 ship. Now, the master cannot act as dry nurse to his 

 groom and see what friends he makes, and the 

 groom, like the master, needs companionship, which 

 he probably seeks at the village alehouse. Nor do 

 I see that, when the day's work is over, there is any 

 harm in the groom smoking a pipe and drinking a 

 glass of ale at an inn, provided that the inn be 



