2l6 MY HORSE ; MY LOVE 



literally dragged him from the saddle, and would have 

 trampled the man to death, had he not been rescued. 



Mr Vidal believes in the power of kindness, towards 

 Arabs especially, and told me of an Arab horse he had 

 bought, of whom his owners complained that they could 

 do nothing. When the groom went into his stall in the 

 morning, the horse, expecting rough treatment as usual, 

 promptly pinned the groom to the wall. 



' Why, how is this, old fellow ? ' said the groom, and 

 stroking and petting the quickly penitent animal, and 

 talking to him gently and caressingly, the horse soon 

 released him. Experiencing always the same kind treat- 

 ment, he proved to be of the gentlest disposition, and 

 Mr Vidal's daughters rode him constantly without fear. 



At a garden-party given by Mrs Vidal, besides the 

 ordinary amusements of tennis, etc., a parade of twenty- 

 two pure bred Arabs was a great and unique attraction. 

 Each horse had a man to lead him in the parade, at the 

 finish of which they were let loose, and jumping the fence 

 one after another into the adjoining paddock, showed their 

 speed and their paces, their heads high and tails streaming, 

 all as if they understood it to be part of the performance, 

 and to the great delight of the assembled guests. 



The Daily Graphic of October 1896 gave a very 

 eulogistic description of another novel parade, given at 

 the Crystal Palace Show at that time, in which a son 

 and four daughters of Mr Vidal rode Arabs. Kushdil 

 was ridden in turn by two of the Misses Vidal. Mrs F. 

 Scratton rode Nowaghieh, Miss Hilda Vidal rode Dabeh, 

 a sister of Nowaghieh, while Mr Donald Cunliffe Vidal 

 bestrode Esau, a grey Keheilan Ajuz stallion, imported. 

 Kantaka II. was led by a groom. The ladies were dressed 



