The Beginning, 89 



Always buy good things. Cheap ones are 

 dear at any price. Your saddle should fit so 

 that when you are in it you can thrust your rid- 

 ing-whip under the pommel and to the cantle 

 along the horse's backbone ; otherwise you may 

 get sore withers. The bits should hang in the 

 mouth just above where a horse's tush grows. 

 Penelope's sex, you see, Tom, precludes her hav- 

 ing any. 



XXVIII. 



When you bought Penelope, she knew nothing 

 of saddle work, and I told you to ride her a few 

 times on a walk or a trot, anywhere and anyhow, 

 so as to get used to her, and her used to you, be- 

 fore you began to teach her anything. She had 

 presumably always been ridden to and from the 

 blacksmith's shop, and worked kindly under sad- 

 dle. You have got good legs, Tom, and any 

 man with average legs can keep his seat after a 

 fashion on a decently behaved horse. You were 

 afraid you could not sit Penelope when you first 

 bought her, and had not ridden for so long that 

 you felt strange in the saddle. So I advised you 

 to hire an old plug for a few rides until you 

 were sure you would feel at home when you 

 mounted her, meanwhile exercising her in har- 

 ness. The better part of valor will always be dis- 

 cretion, now as in Falstaff's time, while the best 

 of horses will get a bit nervous if kept long in 



