PILLAR-REINS. 39 



first charger. She was always very fidgety in the 

 stable at night, and when ' in season' exceptionally 

 so. One morning my groom reported to me that 

 she had got damaged, and he could not explain 

 how it had happened ; but it looked as if someone 

 had maliciously torn her ' bearing' with some sharp 

 instrument. I was naturally much distressed about 

 it, and reported the circumstance to the colonel, 

 who ordered an investigation to be made. I could 

 not suspect my groom, for he had been some time 

 with me, and was invariably gentle to, and fond of, 

 his horses, and I could not for a moment think it 

 possible that I had any enemy capable of doing me 

 such an injury. 



My regiment was at this time at Aldershot. 

 Happening to meet Mr. Pallin, then the veterinary 

 surgeon of the 20th Hussars, I told him of the 

 unlucky occurrence. After listening to what 

 I had to say, he said : ' You may make your 

 mind quite easy about it. No one has done it 

 but the mare herself, with the key of the pillar- 

 chains,' adding that it was by no means an 

 uncommon accident. Strange to say, not long- 

 after this we had one or two similar cases occur 

 amongst the troop-horses ; and from that time 

 all the pillar-chains were ordered to be looped up 

 when not in use. 



