46 HORSES 



there is no method of ascertaining the point 

 where they graduate from moderately good into 

 absolutely unsafe. 



When buying a horse never take any one's 

 opinion about shoulders, and do not trust to the 

 judgment of your eye. The only sound test is 

 to get on his back, jump a fence, and gallop 

 down hill. Some horses have apparently beauti- 

 ful shoulders to look at, but cannot use them, and 

 this you will speedily find out when you gallop 

 down a grass field. 



Several years ago I bought a horse which I 

 hoped would carry me hunting and win me a 

 race at the end of the season. I remember many 

 good judges remarking on his beautiful shoulders, 

 and on the strength of their opinions I rode him 

 across Leicestershire with the utmost confidence. 

 I began to think this confidence was rather mis- 

 placed after he had given me about half-a-dozen 

 crushing bad falls, and that his shoulders were 

 not quite as perfect as they looked. He was a 

 very clever horse, and would not come down if 

 he could help it, but when he did fall I never 

 knew what had happened for a few seconds. I 

 invariably found myself facing the fence I had 

 come over, and generally with a collar-stud burst, 

 two signs which I look upon as indicating a bad 

 kind of spill. 



After a series of tumbles out hunting and be- 

 tween the flags I came to the conclusion that the 

 horse did not suit me, and I therefore sold him 



