-19- 



She proved a most valuable riding master to me 

 for this reason: she was always a little shifty, yet 

 if ridden strongly, quietly, and carefully at a fence, 

 she seldom or never refused. The least carelessness 

 she noticed and took advantage of. On the other hand, 

 If you made any extra effort to rouse her with hands, 

 whip, or legs, you only aroused her suspicion that there 

 was something extra nasty to jump, and she refused. 

 She had been grossly overfaced and forced into impossible 

 fences. 



Now, I hold that learning to put a horse strongly 

 and quietly at a fence is a very important matter, and 

 that she taught me. A horse should be made to feel 

 with hands and knees that he cannot "cut it," but should 

 never be bustled or excited. 



I never rode her in the Midlands, but, besides 

 riding her with foxhounds in Surrey, I rode her with 

 the Epsom Drag, with staghounds, and the Windsor Drag 

 when it came our side. There was plenty of competition, 

 and we managed to hold our own. I remember once being 

 rather proud of her. I was returning after a ride with 

 the drag, in company with some jockeys, and they began 

 trying to ride over a seat. it was not high, but nar- 

 row, and of course there was nothing to keep a horse 

 from running out. She was the only one that did it. 

 I was down, with her on me, several' times, and once I 

 was pulled, at a thick place, clean over her quarters, 

 and although I fell against her heels, she never touched 

 me. 



After a time I bought a stable companion for her, 

 another ten-pounder, a little thoroughbred mare, with 

 rather straight shoulders and a sad lack of brains. 

 She, however, gave me much instruction in the art of 

 falling, and one must not expect too much for ten 

 pounds. I only mention her because I thought the cob's 

 temper rather improved after her arrival. I always 

 hold that loneliness must be bad for horses, who are the 

 most sociable of animals. If a horse is turned out in 

 a field by himself he hates it; if there are any horses 

 grazing within sight he will spend nearly all his time 

 looking at them from the nearest point he can reach, 

 because he feels lonely. 



