THE HACKNEY.] MODEEN VETEEINAEY PRA.CTICE. [the lady's nottSB. 



he is taken up by his poor proprietor, ex- 

 hibiting a shatrgy coat, an immense pot-belly 

 ewe neck, big head, and ragged mane and 

 tail. To look at him in this stage of hia 

 career, you would suppose that a full-grown 

 donkey was more than an equivalent as an 

 cxcliange for the animal calling himself a 

 horse, in the style in which he appears. If his 

 owner cannot sell him immediately, he puts 

 him into his cart, and he is supported by a 

 lock of hay at night. The poor animal 

 becomes crippled, by hard work put upon him, 

 in his fourth year ; and is, therefore, consigned 

 to the cart of the costermonger or travelling 

 tinker, there to drag on, in hunger and toil, 

 the existence which commenced in hardship 

 and privation. 



"But let us turn from this scene of woe, 

 and suppose our pony born under a more 

 auspicious star. A gentleman sees him when 

 he is first caught ; and as he flatters himself he 

 is a bit of a judge, observes a good point or 

 two ; he has plenty of good feed to spare, 

 and takes compassion upon the poor starve- 

 ling's hard lot. After a summer and autumn 

 of good living, with an improved appearance, 

 and a spice of wickedness in his eye, the 

 pony is, in the winter, driven into the straw- 

 yard, and shares with the cows all the little 

 comforts of a warm and sheltered shed by 

 night, and a crib well filled with hay by day. 

 During this time his master sees what an 

 improvement has taken place in his nag, 

 and, in the spring, gives orders for him to 

 have a little taste of the saddle and bridle 

 in the way of breaking in. Physicked, stabled, 

 and clothed, the dust of four years is, with 

 no little difficulty, extracted from his jacket, 

 and his natural colour is at length opened to 

 the view. He is at last mounted by his master, 

 who discovers that the ragged rascal bought 

 by him out of charity, is by no means unworthy 

 of his purchase-money : he congratulates him- 

 self upon his bargain; and always sup- 

 posing our gentlemen to be a light weight- 

 about ten, but certainly under eleven stone — 

 he discovers, when his nag is five years old, 

 and in good condition, that he is, without 

 any exception, the best hack that he ever 

 obtained at any price; and, moreover, that 

 by means of good and generous keep, his 

 personal appearance is so wonderfully altered 



and improved, that no one could have recog- 

 nised in him the least degree of likeness to 

 the puny forester, that was purchased at the 

 edge of the common for the very sporting 

 price of eight pounds ! 



" Such, reader, has been the case with me ; 

 and I shall ever bless the hour when I rescued 

 from the cart of the costennongor, my gallant 

 little grey. Of course, for hunting, nothiw 

 but a full-sized horse will do, whatever be a 

 man's weight; but for coursing and hacking 

 about, give me a good pony. Then again, the 

 prime cost of ponies is not only infinitely 

 less, but they can be kept in condition at a 

 much less expense than a horse : their con- 

 stitutions are twenty times as hardy ; and if 

 your stud consisted only of them, you would 

 never be called upon to pay a farrier's little 

 account. But the pony not only shines as a 

 hack for the saddle ; in harness he is both 

 useful and ornamental. According to my 

 notions of good taste, there is no turn-out of 

 any nature or kind so pretty as a pair of 

 handsome ponies and a single-bodied wicker 

 carriage. Perhaps I shall be told, in these 

 economic days, that it will not do on account 

 of the expense, as two horses are dearer than 

 one. That position is an erroneous one • for 

 it is by no means an easy task to meet with a 

 good machiner fit for a four-wheeled carriage, 

 well broken, sound, fresh, and handsome, for 

 fifty pounds. I could undertake for that 

 money to buy a pair of ponies, young, hand- 

 some, and well-broken; and I might almost 

 add, harness into the bargain. Then, as to 

 the keep; two ponies of thirteen hands in 

 heio-ht, can be kept well on the same food 

 that is required by one large horse in hard 

 work. They will give an air and style to a 

 vehicle, which, with one horse, would look 

 shabby and commonplace ; and, moreover, 

 will do more work, and go with more ease to 

 themselves, and therefore, of course, more 

 pleasant to the driver." 



THE LADY'S HORSE. 

 Much care seems in general to be used in 

 the selection of ladies' horses ; and ladies them- 

 selves seem to be sufficiently attentive to the 

 necessary accomplishment of horsemanship. 

 This is evident from the comparatively few ac- 

 cidents which happen to them when riding. 



07 



