182 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



was made, upon whose advice is not known. A team 

 of cart-horses four mares, and one stallion, were sent 

 out from England, under the notion that Runjeet 

 would be glad to rear a larger breed than the native 

 Punjabees. But the fact was, he cared only for showy 

 saddle horses, of high courage, well broken in to the 

 manege of Hindustan, that he could himself ride on 

 parade, or on the road, or set his favourites upon. 

 Accordingly, when the cart-horses arrived at his court, 

 the stallion was immediately put into the breaker's 

 hands, and taught the usual artificial paces. This 

 animal, with its enormous head and coarse legs, stood 

 always in the palace yard, or before the tent of the 

 chief, blazing with gold and precious stones, and was 

 sometimes honoured by being crossed by Runjeet 

 Singh himself. The mares were never looked at, and 

 were held in utter indifference. 



When Runjeet Singh had become weak, he 

 adopted a singular method of mounting the tall horses 

 on which he loved to ride. A man knelt down before 

 him, over whose neck, he threw his leg, whereupon 

 the man rose, with the Maharajah upon his shoulders, 

 and approached the horse. Runjeet then putting his 

 right foot into the stirrup, and holding by the horse's 

 mane, threw his left leg, over the man's head and the 

 back of the horse, into the stirrup on the other side. 



