290 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



whom he survived, and he married again at the age 

 of seventy-four.' ^ 



Talkington's accidents were all received in the 

 way of business. But it sometimes happens that 

 a young gentleman has no business to get into 

 such troubles as Sir G. Stephen relates in the 

 following: — 



'I have occasionally met with young gentlemen 

 — very young gentlemen — who affect to prefer a 

 brute with a queer temper " because he will do most 

 work." These pinafore riders " never find a horse 

 too much for them,^^ &c. When I hear this, I set it 

 down, as of course, that the speaker has never been 

 on horseback a second time in his life, or at all 

 events never mounted a second horse. It is digress- 

 ing a little from the subject, but I cannot resist the 

 temptation of mentioning an adventure I had a few 

 years since with a jackanapes of this description. 

 He overtook me one afternoon riding home from the 

 City ; he was mounted on a good mare, but with vice 

 legibly written on her face. He was obviously un- 

 comfortable, and I advised him to dismount. " Oh, 

 no ; never liked a horse better ! She is rather queer, 

 to be sure, but I am riding her into order, for a 

 friend who finds her too much for him." I was not 

 his nurse, so I said no more. Presently he dropped 

 Lis stick ; I offered to hold the mare while he re- 



• Oxford and University Herald, April 29, 1826. 



