464 RIDING DIFFICULT HORSES. 



will she have in overcoming the strain on her 

 nervous system. I would not take a rearing horse 

 at a gift, for such animals can never be made 

 sufficiently reliable for any woman to ride. Horses 

 sometimes learn this detestable vice from others. 

 I once had an animal in Calcutta which began 

 i:*earing with me without any known cause, and I 

 was greatly mystified about his behaviour until one 

 day I saw my syce, who was exercising him, in 

 company with a native on a horse which was 

 rearing badly, while my mount was imitating him, 

 a performance which I subsequently discovered 

 had been going on daily for some time. If a 

 previously quiet horse suddenly starts a new form 

 of playing up, the riding of the groom or person 

 who has been exercising and handling him should 

 be carefully watched, and no animal which is known 

 to be unsteady should be allowed to teach his bad 

 tricks to a lady's mount, for w^e know that horses 

 very quickly pick up bad habits from each other. 

 Baron de Vaux, in his book Ecuyers et Ecuyeres, 

 tells us that Emilie Loisset, who was a brilliant 

 high school rider, was killed by a rearer coming 

 over with her. He says: — '' Elle soitffrait beaiicoiipy 

 car la fourche de la selle lid avail perform les inteslins. 

 Apres deux joitrs de doitleurs horribles, la pauvre 

 Emilie Loissel rendit le dernier soupir, surprise par 

 la niorl en pleine jetmesse el en plein stccces^ The 

 animal she rode is described as d'origine irlandaise et 

 de niauvais ccetcr. 



