216 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



mand my fate, it would be, that I could hunt 

 with him ; for if not so true a sportsman as he, 

 and if fond of what I have been often quizzed 

 about, shining coats on my horses and neat appur- 

 tenances, I do still hold my head above those who 

 merely hunt if it does not interfere with a party 

 in town. I love fox-hunting; but I love nice 

 horses, and cannot enjoy the one without the 

 other. De gustibus non est disputandum : if the 

 truth of this quotation is allowed me, I have 

 courage to again say, I do not like riding post, 

 and such I hold to be riding job-horses. 



Mr. Tilbury's (whose name I have mentioned) 

 horses do well, because they are well done ; the 

 job-master's carriage-horses do the same from the 

 same cause ; so will your hunter or other horse, 

 if sent to proper places to livery. They will, of 

 course, do equally well at home, if equally well 

 managed, either by the master or stud-groom. 

 But a person may candidly say, " I cannot 

 manage well myself, nor can I keep a stud- 

 groom." This is precisely the sort of person for 

 whom I have written. It will be found I have 

 not done so altogether with a view to instruct 

 any one how to manage; for to learn this pro- 

 perly requires years of experience : but the 

 one short (not flattering I allow, but honest) 

 advice, do not manage at all, is very easily 

 learned. It is singular, if among a man's ac- 



