(ttlib^H^ i^<t (Return ^otse 



the summit ; he won't come back if you ride him 

 even a short distance on the other side," called 

 a Telluride liveryman to me as I rode out of his 

 barn. It seems that the most faithful return horse 

 may not come back if ridden far down the slope 

 away from home, but may stray down it rather 

 than climb again to the summit to return home. 

 The rider is warned also to " fasten up the reins 

 and see that the cinches are tight " when he turns 

 the horse loose. If the cinches are loose, the sad- 

 dle may turn when the horse rolls ; or if the reins 

 are down, the horse may graze for hours. Either 

 loose reins or loose cinches may cripple a horse 

 by entangling his feet, or by catching on a snag 

 in the woods. Once loose, the horse generally 

 starts off home on a trot. But he is not always 

 faithful. When a number of these horses are 

 together, they will occasionally play too long on 

 the way. A great liking for grass sometimes 

 tempts them into a ditch, where they may eat 

 grass even though the reins are up. 



The lot of a return horse is generally a hard 

 one. A usurper occasionally catches a horse and 

 rides him far away. Then, too often, his owner 



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