190 CONFESSIONS OF A HOBSE DEALER. 



my hands, and bowed his smart, intelligent head, as 

 much as to say, " I'm at your service, sir," and walked 

 (as only a temperate, well-broken horse can walk) 

 quietly, with a long, steady, business-like stride ; and 

 as the trial ground is interspersed with every description 

 of fence, after having satisfactorily tested his walking 

 qualities, I gave him his head, and as the splendid 

 creature bounded over the springing turf towards the 

 first brushwood fence, there was no rushing or turning 

 his head to the right or left for a bolt, as he seemed to 

 say by his actions, " Give me my head, and sit me 

 steady, and ' forward is my motto.' " Yes, my beauty ! 

 thought I, you shall have your head, for how can you 

 jump unless you have it ? still I'll keep a steady sup- 

 porting feel on your mouth. Now for it one of your 

 ears is pointed forward, and now the other, in rapid 

 succession ; the rein tightens- Steady, boy ! Hie over, 

 my fawn ! There ! why I never felt you drop, for it is 

 the strength and elasticity of your pasterns which ena- 

 bles you to bound from the turf again like those India- 

 rubber balls the children play with in the parks of 

 London. 



And now we come to these Irish swamps, the sod 

 banks, and stone walls. There, my boy, that's it; 

 measure your ground, and go a little nearer this time 

 before you take off, because the leaps are higher. Hie 

 over again, my charmer ! bang go your heels against the 

 other side of the stiff sod bank, with a sound like the, 

 thud of a cannon ball when it strikes an earthwork, ag 



