66 * THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



cated, and having once taken to jumping, they are far more 

 clever, because gifted with greater activity. I do not think 

 that they are longer in making than other horses, but the 

 fact is, their schooling attracts attention, while the bun- 

 gling of a novice of minor character escapes observation ; 

 and when the former falls (not exactly in the indes- 

 cribable position of " a thorough-bred one falling at his 

 fence," depicted by a certain artist), every one says that 

 it is just what he expected, forgetting that " Rome was 

 not built in a day ; " that the safety-conveyances upon 

 which they are then seated were, probably, oftener upset 

 in their time of tuition, when this horse was otherwise 

 engaged in training for the course, and that, if their equal 

 in age, he is still their junior in practice as a hunter. 



I am presuming that we are talking of quondam race- 

 horses, because, till blood-horses are bred for the express 

 purpose of hunting, there must be very few which, if 

 likely to make hunters, will not previously have been 

 considered worth the expense of training ; for weeds are 

 not in higher estimation in racing than in hunting stock, 

 and the size of a young horse very materially affects 

 his value. Another advantage which you will find in a 

 thorough-bred one is this, that he does everything in 

 a genteel w^ay : if he falls, he has not only plenty of time, 

 but he knozvs hozv to get up again ; he does not lie locked 

 in the embraces of mother earth, or as though destined 

 for fructification in the soil, but he is up and ready to 



