214 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



sheet of paper was offered to me about six weeks back, 

 by a gentleman who keeps hounds, with a request 

 that I would write my own cheque {i.e. a cheque for 

 my own price) on his banker, and he would sign it, 

 for a mare, which is certainly a model of the art of 

 grooming as relates to the condition of a hunter ; but 

 which offer I refused — saying, I should not refuse such 

 an offer for the mare, but I could not part with her 

 condition. Wishing to advance nothing of this sort 

 without the accompanying corroboration, my customer 

 was Mr Taylor, of Holleycombe Lodge, the Member 

 for the city of Wells. 



I have now to notice two communications in your 

 November number on this highly interesting subject 

 — the Condition of Hunters. The first is a very able 

 Letter from Cheshire on the subject of clipping, to 

 which I shall allude more fully at a future opportunity ; 

 but as the author, Equestris, asks my opinion, it is 

 — that I would have every horse clipped that has got 

 a long coat ; and it would answer extremely well if 

 one or two men in the neighbourhood of every Hunt 

 would perfect themselves in the art of doing it ; for 

 they would have plenty of custom. Caution, how- 

 ever, should be observed. Mr Farquharson lost one 

 of his best horses last season in consequence of riding 

 him too soon after the operation was performed. On 

 the other hand, Mr Bartlett, the dealer in Oxford Street, 

 told me last season that his horse was clipped on the 

 Thursday, and on the Friday he swam a canal three 

 times with the Berkeley stag-hounds, and no ill effects 

 were produced. 



