192 CONFESSIONS OF A HORSE DEALEB. 



clipped under your belly in mid-air for an instant, 

 and drop them, feet downwards, with a regular flop, 

 into the ploughed field on the other side ; but the su- 

 periority of your condition, the strength of bone and 

 muscle, and the dash of pure blood which courses through 

 your prominent veins, stands to you in this your time 

 of need, for the stiff dirt is rent to atoms, and flies 

 about in all directions as you gallop through the long 

 ploughed field to the most difficult jump in the lot a 

 double post and rail. 



Can you do it ? Yes, I feel your body working 

 under me ; you are preparing for business, I know ; but 

 remember it's douWe, and I must give you a reminder ; 

 a sharp clip with the inside of the legs, but no rowel ; 

 a slight shake of the reins, just to let you know that a 

 little extra energy is requiredand well you answer to 

 these signals. For Hie, over, my jewel! we are safe 

 in our places on the other side ; a rolling seat would 

 make my hands unstead} r , and a job of the spur at the 

 same instant would have soured your temper, and to- 

 tally destroyed the cordial feeling between us, which 

 Las enabled us to surmount every obstacle; for the 

 rolling, unsteady seat is sure to be allied to a pair of 

 heavy, harassing hands, and frequent misapplications 

 of the spur would spoil even you, who are as good a 

 jumper as ever stood on iron. 



These were my thoughts as I rode and dismounted 

 this noble creature, which the gentleman had sent back 

 to the breeder, because he said that he could not, or 



