Some Equine Erratics 247 



make him face a fence ; surely a freak of 

 temper this, for no physical inability to jump 

 could ever be detected in him. Ecjually 

 curious is it to see, on the other hand, a horse 

 turned out in a meadow, disporting himself 

 backwards and forwards over the same fence, 

 apparently for the sake of amusement ! Some 

 years back I had one that, to my knowledge, 

 had never done any jumping in his life until 

 he attained the age of sixteen, when I rode 

 him over one or two " made " fences. He 

 jumped at them, though he did not quite clear 

 them, as boldly as a lion, and I then rode him 

 a few times with hounds. He pulled fearfully, 

 and got so excited as to almost merit the 

 description of a mad horse, but would never 

 refuse anything. Sad to say, however, he one 

 day, going at a post and rails, took off yards 

 in front, and smashed the whole lot, leaving a 

 clean breach through which one might have 

 driven a good-sized cart, and this lamed him 

 badly. 



A hunter belono^ing; to a friend of mine 

 always declined to touch the gruel brought 



