CONDITION RESUMED 151 



or two every morning during the summer. Mr 

 Weedon has Hved fourteen years (reckoning from 

 1824) with Lord Plymouth ; and to any one who has 

 witnessed his Lordship's style of riding across a country, 

 it must be evident, that, unless Mr Weedon knew his 

 business weU, he would not have remained fourteen 

 years at the head of perhaps one of the most valuable 

 studs of hunters in England. Mr W. is also a man of 

 manners and education superior to the generality of 

 persons filling situations similar to his own, which 

 induced me to go several miles out of my road to see 

 him. 



There is always a dehcacy between sportsmen, which 

 forbids them prying into the stables of each other, at 

 any period of the year ; therefore I did not even 

 express a wish to see Lord Plymouth's hunters (about 

 seventeen in number), but called on Mr Weedon at 

 his residence, which is about a mile and a half from 

 the Earl's seat in Worcestershire. It appeared he had 

 never heard of Nimrod or his letters ; but when we 

 came to compare notes on the subject of condition 

 of hunters, I could almost have persuaded myself 

 that he had been the author of them, instead of myself 

 — so exactly did our sentiments tally. With respect, 

 however, to giving hunters walking exercise throughout 

 the summer, he there goes a step beyond me ; but on 

 mature reflection I am convinced he is right. On 

 talking the matter over, each of us referred to Mr 

 Potter, the Earl of Sefton's celebrated groom, who 

 always adopted that plan, and to whose very superior 

 condition I have before alluded. " When horses are 



