HORSES AND STABLES 243 



tion before them, but such horses only suit men who 

 are professional or semi-professional horse makers or 

 breakers. For a beginner a horse which is absolutely 

 quiet is almost a necessity, but for the rank and file of 

 hunting people first-rate condition is the great deside- 

 ratum, for all who have secured a certain amount of 

 experience will surely ride the horses which suit them, 

 and will discard those horses which have confirmed bad 

 habits, or any real vice. 



In this connection it is a somewhat curious fact that 

 many people — especially, perhaps, the owners of small 

 studs — will, after they have once bought a horse, 

 struggle on with him for months when he does not suit 

 them rather than dispose of him at once. It is, of 

 course, most annoying to buy a horse which appeared 

 to be temperate when tried and then to find that he 

 rushes his fences, or that he pulls all day long ; but this 

 is a thing which constantly happens, and it is better, 

 supposing the horse cannot be returned, to cut one's 

 loss at once rather than keep a brute which does not give 

 satisfaction. 



Quite lately we noticed a quiet-riding, middle-aged 

 man begin a season with two new horses, which were 

 taking the place of two veterans which had carried 

 their owner some ten seasons apiece. The new horses 

 were young, good-looking, and apparently well 

 behaved, and during the month of October their 

 owner was much pleased with them. But as the season 

 advanced one began to pull very hard, while the other 

 was found to be a confirmed rusher, who would go 

 blindly at any place forty miles an hour, and who, 

 though a big jumper, was terribly rash. Their owner 

 was advised to hand both horses over to a rough-rider 

 for awhile, but though a quiet, most unassuming man, 



