INTEODUCTION 



Let us beg our readers, in our first sentence, to remem- 

 ber that this volume is written for the tyro in the 

 hunting-field. There are many good sportsmen, who 

 cannot afford to hunt more than one day a week, or at 

 the most three days a fortnight, and who for lack of 

 practical information never hunt at all, but devote their 

 energies to some other sport or pastime. Very often 

 these men have not only the time and money, but 

 stables and horses at their disposal, yet dislike to make 

 their maiden appearance in the hunting-field, because 

 they know nothing about hunting. They are afraid of 

 making themselves ridiculous, or of spoiling the sport 

 of their neighbours. There is also a numerous class of 

 men who receive invitations to country houses, where the 

 rule is to hunt by day and to talk about hunting by 

 night. We have often been approached with some such 

 tale as this: "I am going down to stay with the 

 Blanks, and they have offered me a mount. Now I 

 never went out huntiug in my life. Do give me a 

 wrinkle ! " Such a wrinkle it is one of the objects of 

 this volume to supply. 



In the sections which deal with " The Hunter " and 

 with "Stables and Stable Management," we have not 



written for the man who keeps a giant establishment, 



11 



