154 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 



of his horse than he can help, and never uses whip or 

 spur without absolute occasion. 



I really believe some men are born horsemen. I 

 will mention one in the person of a young man who 

 has lately rode a good deal in England Byrne. I 

 think I may venture to say he never was on a horse 

 till he was twelve years old : his father was no horse- 

 man ; nor did the young one ever get his riding edu- 

 cation in a school ; if he had, he would never have rode 

 as he can. He had a love born in him for horses, and 

 the way he made himself a horseman was this : he got 

 leave to ride horses (not race-horses) at exercise, and 

 tumbled off till he learned to stick on ; and riding all 

 sorts gave him hands, which he very shortly got to 

 perfection. I know no man living who can make a 

 perfect gentleman's hunter better than Byrne : at the 

 same time, if I was asked whether I would as soon put 

 him on a horse to ride a steeple-race as Oliver, Powell, 

 and some half-dozen others, I should say, no : he has 

 not had their experience, though perhaps as horsemen 

 there may be very little difference between them and 

 him. 



But, without alluding to natural abilities, expe- 

 rience generally gives head : it also (but not always) 

 gives hands; every fool has heels; and the greater the 

 fool the less likely he is to forget it, or allow his horse 

 to forget it either. I like to see a man ride bold and 

 straight to hounds ; but I also like to see him ride 

 with judgment ; and, as I have on a former occasion 

 said, I am convinced, in a general way, the men who 

 do ride the straightest distress their horses the least. 

 A bold rider and merely a hard rider are two very 

 different people : the first, in a fair and sportsman- 

 like way, shares the danger with his horse ; in fact, 



