PACES, VICES, AND FAULTS. 145 



street, you must endeavour to keep clear of trees and 

 vehicles, and strive to get your horse stopped as best you 

 can. Happily, such catastrophes do not very often occur. 



I am against the theory that a rider ought in all in- 

 stances to stick to a runaway horse. As a rule it is better 

 to do so, but there are decidedly a few exceptions. A pet 

 idea of my own is to bring him down, in whatever way 

 it can best be done ; but I do not for a moment want to 

 persuade others to do this. One man's meat is another 

 man's poison ; and on this principle a plan which is, or has 

 been, successful in my own hands might prove a dangerous 

 failure in another's. I once stopped a maddened horse 

 that had made away with me at Melton, by letting him 

 have his head for about a furlong, or something less, and 

 then giving him one stupendous tug with the reins. The 

 sudden jerk to his mouth caused him to cross his legs, and 

 he came down a " thundering cropper," giving me one, of 

 course, also ; but riding, as I always did, in a plain racing 

 stirrup, without having my foot thrust " home," I got clear 

 off, and escaped without any more serious injury than a 

 very severe shaking. The sensation was not a nice one, 

 I confess, and the peril was great ; but, on the whole, I 

 should prefer it again to enacting Mazeppa, or something 

 like it, on the back of a wild steed, who would probably 

 not stop until he had landed his rider at that fatal bourne 

 from whence no traveller returns. 



