CHAPTER IV 



CHOOSING, BUYING, AND TRAINING A HORSE 



IN writing on pig-sticking it is impossible to avoid 

 a constant reference to the horse : he is the pre- 

 dominant partner in the sport, and on him the joy 

 of a hunt largely depends. Otherwise, I would 

 gladly have refrained from giving you any opinions 

 of my own ; and I only do so now provided that you 

 clearly understand that I am not making any 

 attempt to preach, or to pose as an authority on the 

 subject. I have loved and been with horses all my 

 life, but I think the longer a man is with them the 

 more he realizes his ignorance about them. When 

 I take people round my own or my battery horses 

 I listen to their opinions with becoming gratitude. 

 If you are a youngster, what I have to say may be 

 of some use to you, but if you are an older man I 

 would much rather learn from you. 



Now, before buying, the first thing is to settle 

 whether you will ride a horse or a pony. This 

 depends on your weight and where you are hunting ; 

 it is not to any extent a matter of expense. A good 

 pony costs as much as a horse : if he is good at polo 

 as well he may cost more. And if you are to ride 

 against horses there is no use in buying an in- 

 different pony. Do not ride a pony if you are over 

 twelve stone. 



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