202 HINTS TO horsemen; oe, 



horses, though good judges of them, have no eye 

 whatever to appreciate the merits, or indeed the 

 appearance of superior ones ; they get so much accus- 

 tomed to regard common horses as superior animals, 

 that they will talk to a man accustomed to horses 

 quite of a different character, of the merits of their 

 horses, forgetting that if he listens to their praises, 

 they are only indebted to his courtesy for doing so. 



I remember once, returning from hunting, I was 

 overtaken on the road home by the son of a neigh- 

 bouring gentleman; he joined me, and by way of 

 information, told me that his father being out, he 

 had taken the liberty of riding one of his horses, 

 which he assured me was never ridden on the road. 

 The thought that suggested itself to me was, that the 

 horse was used in harness, and I hinted as much ; 

 but my youngster bristled up at once. " Ko," said 

 he, ** my father values him far too much as a hunter 

 to use him for any other purpose ;" so off my offended 

 companion rode. Now I really meant not to under- 

 rate my neighbour's hunter, who I recollected having 

 seen with the hounds ; but he had never attracted my 



