284 IRiMno IRccoUections auD XTurf Stones 



him fit, and started to ride him hunting. He was 

 in a great hurry at first, but I rode him quietly at 

 his fences a few times, and put on him a very easy 

 bridle. I have it now, and it is always called ' The 

 Doctor's' bridle to this day. It is nothing more 

 nor less than a short-cheeked thick double bridle with 

 a large plain bridoon and a leather curb. When 

 ' The Doctor ' was racing he always ran in a very 

 long-cheeked curb bridle with a gag. Mr. Craw- 

 shaw always told me he was the hardest puller he 

 ever rode over a country, and George Holman said 

 the same, with the exception of ' L'Africaine.' Of 

 course this was racing, but when I got him settled 

 down hunting he was the quietest horse I had, and 

 if I happened by an accident to hurt my arm or 

 leg so that I could not really ride hunting, but only 

 trot about, I always chose ' The Doctor,' because he 

 was so steady. It does not often happen that a 

 man's best hunter is the quietest, but it was so 

 in this case. His knowing me, doubtless, had a 

 great deal to do with it, as he was a very funny- 

 tempered horse in the stable, and no one could give 

 him a dose of physic. Lots of people would attempt 

 to do so, but they never tried a second time. The 

 artful old fellow used to let them get their hand in 

 his mouth, but always fixed them directly afterwards. 



