76 MR. MORAN'S BROOD-MARE 



friend sold her colts for such good prices as ^200 

 apiece as four-year-olds ; some of them went to dealers 

 for even 400 and 500 guineas, proving that they 

 were really first-class hunting stock. The paddock 

 where the mare was kept, with her foal at foot, was 

 surrounded by a hedge too high for any horse to jump 

 over, and the gate leading out of it was an iron five- 

 barred one of over 5 feet 10 inches in height ; yet, 

 nevertheless, Mr, Moran constantly found this mare 

 alone by herself in another field, and he could not 

 understand how she managed to eet there. Time 

 after time he had to lock the gate and put her back 

 again into her paddock. He began to suspect that 

 someone must have a key which fitted the lock of the 

 gate, and allowed her into the field, which was cropped 

 with oats, so he determined to sit up all night and 

 watch, and the very first time he was rewarded for so 

 doing, for just at daybreak he was amazed to see the 

 mare walk up to the iron gate some two or three times 

 as if she were measuring its height, and then quietly 

 trot up to it and clear it ; as he described it, ' You 

 could see the moat of Ratoath under her when she was 

 in the air.' He thus satisfied himself not only that no 

 foul play had been practised, but that he was the owner 

 of a horse not to be got nowadays for love or money. 

 As I have before stated, Irish horses are for the most 

 part natural jumpers, and when well-shaped, as this 

 mare was, can jump anything, and even have a leg to 

 spare over any fence, if not misused and knocked 

 about. Alas, poor Leonard Morrogh ! you and I had 

 some wonderful standing jumpers between us, and 

 many is the useful hint I gained from watching your 

 marvellous seat and perfect hands. As long as I live I 



