'^A HORSE OF ANOTHER COLOUR." 15 



— I would not object to find her a hundred, if I 

 could, to select from. With nineteen ladies in 

 twenty the look of the animal is a matter of para- 

 mount importance. A particular mark, shade of 

 colour, mane, tail, ears, legs — even countenance, 

 are all scanned : each fair equestrian has her own 

 ideas and predilections as to what are beauties, or 

 the reverse. Then the style of going is another 

 consideration ; for it is not altogether whether the 

 animal goes well, but whether the going suits the 

 lady's ideas. It is not necessary that a horse 

 should be altogether of a good sort, to be very 

 clever as a lady's horse ; for beauty, safety, and 

 pleasantry is all that in ordinary cases is requisite. 

 If I picked out twenty horses, each of whom I 

 knew would carry a woman well, if a lady objected 

 to every one, I should feel in no way mortified or 

 offended ; for the fact would be, they would not 

 be objected to as unfit for \\iQ purpose, but merely 

 because they did not hit the taste of the lady. 

 The other qualifications she leaves to be appreci- 

 ated by those more informed on such matters. 



A man may say he has a right to please his 

 taste in horses as well as a lady, Ko doubt he 

 has so ; and if he looks out for himself he may 

 look at all the horses on sale in London if he 

 pleases, till he becomes, like some I know, who are 

 such marked men among dealers, from the num- 

 bers they look at without buying, that it is with 



