Horse Shows. 341 



had to be pulled up into a walk between the fences, obtained 

 ribbons. Even refusers got placed. And yet the slightest 

 touch, such as many of the cleverest and safest hunters that 

 ever looked through a bridle would always give to a wall, if 

 followed by the displacement of even a wooden brick, entailed 

 instant disqualification. In all these competitions, except, of 

 course, when there was only one obstacle, as at the big stone 

 wall event in the Dublin Horse Show, no horse should be 

 given a prize, unless he had been taken round at a canter or 

 well-collected slow gallop, and without a refusal. I am here 

 assuming, as I think I have a right to do, that all such jump- 

 ing enclosures are mimic hunting fields. I may add that the 

 rule against pulling horses up between the jumps is strictly 

 observed at Ball's Bridge. The ' rapping ' of a gate by a 

 horse is such a dangerous experiment, especially if the gate 

 happened to be unfastened, that it ought, I think, to be a bar 

 to success. But a wall is different. Other things being equal ; 

 the horse which jumped everything clean ought undoubtedly 

 to be awarded the prize in preference to one that chanced any 

 of the fences, even in a manner that could cause no danger. 

 As horses have to carry a rider over fences, and are not 

 judged by their powers of jumping when at liberty ; the 

 first requirement of a jumper is a good mouth; the second 

 cleverness. 



The awarding of prizes to so-called hunters which have 

 never been over a fence is funny. An equally striking 

 anomaly is that of judging cart-horses without seeing how 

 they pull when between the shafts. It seems to me hardly 

 right that a horse should obtain a prize as a hunter unless 

 he was able to jump ; or as a cart-horse, unless he could 

 draw a load. The respective tests need not be very severe ; 

 but at least they should ensure the fact that prize winners 

 are entitled to the designation under which they were entered. 

 I need hardly mention that hacks and harness horses are put 

 through their ' facings ' : why, then, should hunters and cart- 

 horses be exempt ? Having asked this question, I shall try 



