THE LIFE OF A HUNTER 53 



nose, and coughing. This illness has to be 

 got rid of, and all the rotten-potato flesh as 

 well. He is all the time a weak young 

 horse, requiring a year of gentle conditioning, 

 good food and exercise, before he is fit to 

 ride to hounds. I make this digression to 

 expose another injustice to Ireland, and in 

 the hope of saving some Irish horses from 

 the abuse and misery that they endure 

 because their English masters think they 

 have got a made and matured hunter in 

 their hands instead of a weak, inexperienced, 

 and badly-nourished youngster. 



From Liverpool I was sent to London, 

 went into a very small stable, and saw some- 

 thing during the summer of life in town. 

 I got accustomed to the noise and traffic of 

 the streets, and to threading my way amongst 



