Dick Christian again, 37 



ing ones that no one would ride, his London dealer 

 had still orders to send them. One come down, a 

 great fine grey ; he'd jumped rap at a chaise in 

 London, right in, bang ; got his head and fore legs in, 

 any way. I rode him on a great day, from Tilton. 

 I jumped that fence where Wilkinson the huntsman 

 daren't come ; he got the sack for that ; Mr. Smith 

 jumped it, and he bought the horse for 200 guineas. 

 When Sir Gilbert gave up the hounds, thirty of them 

 were sold at Tattersall's, and they made all manner of 

 prices, from 250/. to 500/. After the sale he gives 

 me 100/., for the condition I had put them in ; there 

 wasn't one I hadn't broke myself. 



Then he puts me in a farm for eight Dick as an Agri- 

 years, and I took to it pretty well ; but cuiturist. 

 horses were still my hobby. Sir Gilbert used to send 

 me horses when I was on farming, to ride witl. 

 hounds, and teach them the way they should go. I 

 couldn't keep off it ; I didn't care much for crops, and 

 all that sort of thing, so I sets to riding and training, 

 and I have done that these four-and-forty years 

 reg'lar. I never had but two horses I couldn't get to 

 jump ; one of them was a very fine one of Lord 

 Alvanley's, and the other Lord Harborough's ; neither 

 of them would go from their hind legs. It was 

 proved that neither of them were right in their backs. 

 I still said it must be so ; everything I put them to, 

 they dragged with their hind legs ; it's not quite so 

 easy, but if ever I rode a horse at water, I could guess 

 if his back was just the thing. 



Now about breaking young horses. Mode of Break- 

 When they're taken from their dams, ^"S- 

 they should have a nice little head collar, with a rein 

 to it ; use him very quietly, and let him play about 

 with the rein in your hand ; try every now and then 

 to touch him ; but you must take your time. Get a 

 nice carrot, wash it clean, slice it small, and let him 

 smell often at it ; he will soon take to it, and then 



