HUNTING. 85 



fest instance of the best quality) it is surprising 

 how long they may be made to serve. I have 

 told you how to take care of them, but believe 

 me, if you leave the task to servants the end 

 will prove disappointing. You will never be 

 one-haK so well turned out, and your outlay 

 will be continual. 



It is an excellent precaution for a hunting- 

 day, to look the previous morning at your 

 horse's shoes ; and do this yourseK, for it not 

 unfrequently happens that a careless groom 

 will suffer him to go out with a loose shoe 

 which gradually becomes looser, and finally 

 drops off, perhaps in the middle of an exciting 

 run, and obhges you to leave your place with 

 the hounds and seek the nearest forge. All 

 this sort of thing could, in nine cases out of 

 ten, be obviated by a Httle care and forethought, 

 but the majority of riders are too grand, or too 

 careless, or too absurdly squeamish about the 

 ^^ propriety " of entering a. stable, and not 

 unfrequently too ignorant of things they ought 

 io know, to see to such matters themselves, 

 and so they are passed over and neglected. 

 A groom is too often utterly careless. He is 



