THE RIDING 221 



foremost position with hounds, they miss half 

 the pleasure of riding, and their horses are 

 always uncomfortable. These must be men of 

 undaunted nerve, and they will generally get 

 more than their share of crushing falls, whilst 

 the state of their horses' mouths — dry, set, and 

 perhaps bloody — will show what the poor animals 

 have endured. 



Don't get the idea into your head that your 

 horse is to be stopped by physical strength, but 

 always keep a gentle feel on the reins and 

 encourage him to play with the bit. Keep 

 your hands down low and your elbows in. The 

 more you pull at a horse, the more he will 

 pull at you. 



Because a man is a nice horseman, it does not 

 follow that he will be a good rider to hounds ; 

 but he will have a distinct advantage over the 

 duffer on a horse, and those who desire to hunt 

 should learn to ride. An exhaustive treatise on 

 horsemanship would require a volume to itself, 

 and my intention is to give here only a few 

 hints, which I hope may prove of use to the 

 beginner on his entry to the hunting-field. 



The ambition of a young man who is really 



