118 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



To this purpose an almost impossibly high standard 

 should ever be held before us. I, personally, can never 

 be grateful enough for the constant and unremitting 

 criticism of the very dear friend to whom I owe all 

 that I know about horses. He constantly spurred 

 me on to greater efforts by telling me my faults when 

 others had but words of praise; he never for a moment 

 allowed me -to think that I had done well enough, 

 scorned to accept any excuses for my failures, and 

 never permitted me to blame the horse, or weather, 

 or conditions, but insisted that I take all the blame, 

 telling me to "shut up my excuse book and throw it 

 away." 



