3r8 STEEPLE-CHASIXG. 



turf with no growth on the edge, there was nothing to show 

 the horse what he had to do. Happily the prophecies 

 that dangerous accidents Avould occur here were rarely ful- 

 filled, though, as was inevitable, horses occasionally fell into 

 it. It was not the size of this fence, but its ' trappiness,' 

 to which owners, trainers and riders objected ; they desired 

 that a guard rail, which would really make the fence 

 bigger, might be put before the ditch, and this has now been 

 done. 



Natural courses are, as a rule, out of the question, because, 

 as it has been pointed out, there must be stands and — perhaps 

 unfortunately, but the fact remains — betting-rings, if race-goers 

 are to be attracted. The object that should be kept in view, 

 therefore, is to make the courses as natural as possible. Ploughed 

 fields, ridge and furrow, are not to be had ; but, instead of 

 fences of a regulation pattern, the sort of fences that are to be 

 met with in what is generally understood as a good but stiffish 

 hunting country should be introduced. 



There might well be an open brook — at Aldershot, for in- 

 stance, one is, or lately was, crossed in every steeple-chase, 

 and there is no reason why this, an ordinary obstacle in the 

 hunting-field, should be excluded from the course which is 

 supposed to represent a hunting-field as closely as possible. 

 A double, again, is a fair hunting jump ; posts and rails form 

 a special test of a horse's powers ; and banks, as nearly as pos- 

 sible resembling the banks a man is likely to find before him 

 in certain parts of the country, should not be omitted. Such 

 jumps would be bad for cripples, but courses are made for 

 sound horses. 



Here would be a course which would really test the clever- 

 ness of horse and rider. It would fulfil the professed object of 

 the sport — to find out the best and speediest horse across a fair 

 hunting country. 



What is to be said against such a course as that here 

 proposed? It would be a little more difficult to cross, and 

 therefore the cast-offs from the flat which have learnt to 



