74 The Practical Stud Groom. 



which required my personal attention, I strolled round to see 

 how the foal-leading operations had progressed. Arrived at 

 the scene of action, a decidedly interesting tableau presented 

 itself : a mare being led about in a paddock, two welter 

 weight men hauling on the lungeing rein attached to a foal, 

 said foal with outspread forelegs, toes dug in the ground, 

 doggedly resisting their united efforts to move him, while a 

 third man, with a leafy branch of a tree, buffeted his hind 

 quarters. As I approached, the foal, finding himself about 

 to be " pulled over " in the tug-of-war, deliberately threw 

 himself to the ground with a resounding thud. As he lay 

 there black with sweat, eyes closed, and flanks heaving, he 

 presented a perfect picture of mulish obstinacy. I mildly 

 inquired what was the matter, and was informed that " this 

 was the blankest blank stubborn foal as ever was; that this 

 particular mare's foals were always pigs, but this particular 

 foal was the most swinish of the lot/' or words to that effect. 

 Further inquiry elicited the information that the lesson had 

 been in progress three-quarters of an hour. Sending the 

 two assistants away, I told the chief operator that I would 

 try my hand while he took a much-needed rest. Lighting 

 my pipe, I took the lungeing rein and quietly awaited 

 events. The foal, having regained his wind, presently 

 opened his eyes, scrambled to his feet, and stood eyeing me 

 sulkily. I called the dam up alongside, and the foal took a 

 much-needed drink of milk. The mare was then walked 

 away; the foal immediately followed, but, finding the 

 detested rein still attached, struggled violently to break free. 

 Failing in this he spread out his legs and planted his toes 

 in the ground, the very picture of defiance. 



Holding the rein perfectly slack, I smoked on, awaiting 

 his foalship's pleasure. The mare was by this time quite a 

 hundred yards off, and still travelling away. This was more 



