" HANDFULS." 67 



converse. He backs with one or both of his hind legs 

 into a deep ditch. At length you lose patience " cob " 

 him over the ears, or " chuck " him forcibly in the 

 inouth. There we will leave you, the chances being 

 slightly against your having " bettered yourself," as the 

 housemaids call it. Joking apart, if you are patient with 

 such a horse, he very likely becomes no better ; if you 

 are hasty, he certainly becomes worse ; and in a choice 

 of evils it would be preferable if the lesser evil could be 

 arrived at by some action. This it cannot in the case 

 just quoted. The very fresh horse and the fidgety one 

 are pieces of enjoyment the full fruition of which comes 

 to an end more or less soon after a fox is found or goes 

 away. There are some handfuls which begin their games 

 at this point, where the others leave off. When hounds 

 are getting away the refuser is in his glory. He won't 

 jump out of the lane by the covert ; he won't leave the 

 second horses, and the ever-present crowd at all covert 

 sides of those who don't " mean it." Spur him, and he 

 kicks, endangering your neighbours. Strike him with 

 the whip, and he rears, endangering yourself. You will 

 most likely have to go with the stream, and then the con- 

 trary beast will further commend himself to your affection 

 by the perfectly clever manner in which he hops over 

 such gaps, &c., as have been made long ago by the first 

 or second flight, in neither of which will we back you to 

 be. Your horse is a rogue, and refuses from his innate 

 roguishness, and severe measures are likely to be the only 

 effectual ones ; and the same course of action is needful if 

 he refuses in the middle of a run, supposing that there is 

 no mistake about his being a rogue. But there are 

 many causes for refusing besides temper and cunning. 

 Young horses will do it from nervousness; patience, 



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