20 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



extraordinary short space of half an hour and fifty-two 

 seconds} 



Some cantering horses appear to consult the ease 

 and comfort of their riders by never breaking into a 

 trot until pulled up for that purpose ; and I have met 

 with a few in my time that did not appear to be going 

 more than eight or nine miles in the hour, and yet 

 were going eleven. This is the perfection of action in 

 a hack ; and I never see one getting over the ground 

 in this delightful and smooth manner, but it brings to 

 my recollection the anecdote of a gentleman who sent 

 for his huntsman into his dining-room to inquire after 

 the sport of the day ; when, after describing the 

 country he had drawn over, and the run he had had, he 

 finished by saying that " his hounds went like hell and 

 d n, and the old mare carried him like oil ! " 



Demosthenes, being asked what was the first point 

 in oratory, replied — action. What the second ? — 

 action. What the third ? — action. Had the sage 

 Grecian been catechised in this way as to his opinion 

 of a horse, he could not, with all his eloquence, have 

 expressed himself more aptly ; for action is everything: 

 without it the finest form is of no avail ; although in 

 justice we must admit that we do not often find very 

 fine shape and make unaccompanied by it. Some- 

 times, however, there is a helplessness and want of 



^ This event took place on Tuesday, June 4th, 1822, in the Grove 

 Park, near Gerrard's Cross, Bucks, over a two-mile circle. It was 

 to trot nine miles against each other, and to start at different ends 

 of the two miles. It was as fine a race as ever was run, and both 

 were neck and neck at the seventh mile, when the horse began to fall 

 a little off his speed. 



