HIS HUNTERS. 319 



when journeying down to Danebury, or Goodwood, 

 or Welbeck. As railways began to extend over 

 all the kingdom, these travelling carriages were 

 less and less used every year, until discontinued 

 altogether. At Welbeck his Lordship kept some 

 first-class hunters in order to go out with the 

 Rufford hounds ; but when in the south he greatly 

 preferred to hunt with Mr Assheton Smith, whose 

 pack brought him more nearly into contact with 

 Danebury and Goodwood. It was one of his 

 favourite fancies to have all his horses (including 

 racers, hunters, and cart-horses) singed, and he 

 always insisted that the hunters and cart-horses 

 should have their manes cut off. Indeed in some 

 cases it was Lord George's wish that a heavy- 

 coated horse should be shaved, although it was 

 by no means easy to get a barber to undertake 

 the job. So much impressed was he with the 

 advantages to condition resulting from depriving 

 all horses of their long coats when employed in 

 any description of hard work, that he gave orders 

 to have all the cart-horses singed, with the ex- 

 ception of a black mare, who had an unusually 

 thick coat, and was a very free worker. Con- 

 sequently she was always in a sweat, and very 

 irritable. The carter who attended her thought 

 that, if singed, she would be more irritable than 

 ever, which might bring on some dangerous disease. 

 When Lord George heard the man's objection, he 

 replied, " If she dies, she will die my property, and 



