HUNTING CLOTHES 129 



and the insides of our knees and thighs were like raw 

 beefsteak. On another occasion in our experience, a 

 gentleman rider was asked on the course to ride a horse 

 in a certain steeplechase, and had to borrow a pair of 

 breeches, with the result that his legs were so chafed 

 that he was unable to ride again in a race for over two 

 weeks. Hence the peril and inconvenience of ill-fitting 

 breeches. In regard to the material, since we have 

 discarded buckskins, white silk cords are preferable to 

 anything else, since they are easily cleaned, wear welL 

 look well, and are comfortable. White cotton cords are 

 lighter, but they do not wear well, and we do not 

 recommend them to the novice to whom the weight of 

 a few pounds in his kit should be a matter of little 

 importance. In some hunts it is the fashion to wear 

 drab breeches, but one thing is certain, white breeches 

 are never wrong. There are numerous other kinds of 

 breeches which can be worn when riding in mufti, i.e. 

 when riding without pink or black coat and top hat ; 

 but there can be little doubt that the correct mufti 

 costume is a single-breasted frock, or cut-away tail, 

 drab box-cloth coat, white cords, and patent leather 

 jack boots, surmounted by a low, black hat. Such a 

 "get-up" is both neat and sportsmanlike, and does not 

 attract invidious attention. We caution our readers 

 against brown cords, as they are extremely difficult to 

 clean, and soon lose their colour, nor do we like their 

 appearance, but that, of course, is only a matter of 

 opinion. In regard to breeches-makers, Messrs Tautz 

 and Messrs Hammond have the reputation of being 

 the two best makers in the world. Of course, the 

 prices of both firms are high, but then their work is the 



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