26 LETTERS TO YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



IV. 



RIDING A COUNTRY. 



IN concluding my previous letter I ventured to say that I 

 would touch in this upon how to get a horse across 

 country. Let me try to give you some " tips " which 

 I have found to be sound in practice. The audacity of this 

 appals me ! How to ride a run ! I might as well set out 

 to show you how to paint a picture or write a sermon. Still, 

 as my readers are " young sportsmen " they will not know 

 more than I do, and may know less. In this letter it will not 

 be possible to go into the questions involved in how to get 

 a bad horse over a country ; so, to make any progress at all, 

 it must be presumed you are mounted on a perfect horse ; 

 nothing less will do in this letter. The mount then will be 

 perfection, have manners, speed, courage, discretion, be able 

 to negotiate the biggest and most awkward of fences, never 

 refuse and never tire. You will never again be on such a horse ; 

 because he does not exist, so make the best of him. Hounds 

 have found, there is an undeniable scent and you have got a 

 good start. On a still day the fox may take any direction. 

 If there is much wind he will not run long facing it, eventually 

 he will turn down or, at any rate, across it, because he will find 

 that the scent being blown back to the hounds will enable 

 them to run too fast for his liking. Therefore, if you can 

 remember — I seldom can — ride on the " leeward " or down 

 wind side of the pack, you will then have the advantage of 

 the turn which the fox will make sooner or later. Never ride 

 in the wake of hounds if you are near them ; they do not 

 like galloping horses close in their rear. Foxhounds, despite 

 their dash and drive, are really rather timid ; they will, 

 if pressed, try to get out of the way and not pay all their 

 attention to the scent. 



