1 40 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



cases of danger. Never grasp the pommel of the saddle ; 

 and never use a " habit-brooch." 



Choosing a Lady's Horse. — The general ideas in Buying 

 A Horse are found under that heading ; the special merits 

 of a lady's horse are worth considering. It should be 

 remembered, and oftener than it is, that a " weed " should 

 never be selected to carry our " fairest flower " — that how- 

 ever S3dph-like and fairy-formed our Venuses may appear, 

 they are mostly ten stone, " horseman's weight," despite 

 their affectation of slimness ; and this, with habit, hat, 

 gauntlets, whip, a spacious side-saddle and crutch, extra 

 girths, shoe stirrup, etc., adding twenty pounds at the least, 

 asks something more than a Queen Mab's grasshopper steed. 

 We are not going to dilate on a horse for the hunting 

 Amazon we have already spoken of, or we should say a four- 

 year-old hunter, with good mouth, great action, steady at 

 fences, and up to thirteen stone was wanted ; just such a 

 horse as is not to be had for the catching. Lord Maynard, 

 a great man across country in the last generation, used to 

 say, when he heard a horse mentioned as excellent to carry 

 a lady : " I'll buy it ; if he will carry a woman well, he'll 

 carrj^ me better." 



As elegance must be studied in a park hack, a lady's 

 horse should have a considerable show of blood, and should 

 seldom exceed fifteen hands in height; the paces should 

 not be rough, and an easy slow trot, the pace of health, is 

 a valuable qualification. The canter is, however, of the 

 chiefest consequence, and that it be formed naturally and 

 handsomely, the neck gracefully curved, and the mouth 

 having pleasant and good feeling. There are natural can- 

 terers, they will last at it, taking to it, and on the proper 

 signal dropping into the trot or walk, without roughness, 

 boggling, or changing of legs. But the first and grand 

 consideration is going safely ; for a horse de6 cient in that 

 respect is, perhaps, always most liable to fall in his canter. 

 The most graceful canterers may be observed to lead gene- 

 rally with the off" leg ; but no doubt there is such an error 

 as a horse, both in his canter and gallop, going with the 

 wrong leg first, to the considerable uneasiness of the rider ; 

 this is most felt upon worn and battered horses, which 

 change their legs to procure a momentary ease. 



A naturally timid, nervous colt, however we may improve 

 the infirmity by proper treatment, will never be a perfect 



