FENCES AND FENCING. 311 



seconds more or less ; the relative ability of good horses and 

 of good riders is the point to be tested. 



An effort was made by the Grand National Hunt com- 

 mittee, in the autumn of 1882, to mitigate the increasing ten- 

 dency towards the growth of what are called ' galloping courses ; ' 

 and the effort was at least well timed, for the abuse had become 

 considerable. The result of their legislation was not wholly 

 admirable, however, and it stopped short at salutary reforms 

 which were needed. It was decreed that so many fences must 

 be jumped in every mile, and a new fence was invented, a 

 hedge with a ditch on the taking-off side, six feet in width and 



r ^-r^/~ ( ,,.,>. ^ ^*--L ^ 



An open brook. 



four in depth. The fence was, indeed, a dangerous trap ; for, 

 being cut sharply away from perfectly smooth and level 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 would occur here were rarely fulfilled, 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, 



