16 INTRODUCTION 



points through gates and bridle-paths should not, on account 

 of . its supposed immunity from danger, be altogether de- 

 spised, because even that form of amusement is not quite 

 safe. A hardy annual who counted his Kirby Gates by 

 scores, broke, during his last season at Melton, a collar-bone 

 and three ribs by his horse crossing its legs and coming down 

 when canterino- over rid^e and furrow. I remember that fine 



o o 



horseman, Mr. Dick Barry of Carrigtwohill, near Cork, fall- 

 ing with his great mare Bounceaway on the flat in the run 

 home of a steeplechase at Punchestown, when he was win- 

 ning in a common canter. The Emir Abdool Kadir truly said 

 that the man who mounts a horse puts one foot in the grave, 

 by which alone Paradise is reached. 



The country about Melton, particularly on the Great Dalby 

 side, is big and stiff, and to cross it a man who is determined 

 to be with them will need a horse that can gallop, stay, and 

 spread himself out over his fences as well as clear them. If 

 the aspirant to first flight honours has not the wherewithal in 

 his stable, I don't think he can do better than go to my 

 friend Mr. Sam Hames of Leicester, from whom I have 

 bought, from time to time, several hunters all of them good 

 ones. He does an immense business in that class of animal 

 and probably gets through an average of more than five 

 hundred yearly ; yet I would not be surprised to learn that 

 he has a larger turn-over from hirelings than from horses 

 sold. I knew a case of one gentleman hiring from him ten 

 hunters, all of the high-class weight-carrying stamp, each at 

 thirty guineas monthly, making a total of three hundred 

 guineas a month, without counting stable bills and stable 

 rent. If a man does not know much about horses, it is far 

 cheaper for him to hire than to buy, especially as he can 

 change the hireling if it does not suit him or if it goes wrong. 

 A fairly good hunter may be hired from a small man in 

 Leicestershire for 20 a month ; but if it fails to fulfil its 



