32 LETTERS TO YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



them. If you gallop at them you simply land " phut," like 

 a dab of mud on the further slope, and its odds on your horse 

 slipping back into the slimy depths. Then it is a job for those 

 useful but expensive gentlemen who follow on foot called 

 " wreckers," with their ropes, who follow in Meath and 

 charge for their assistance according to the depth of the 

 drain and the position of the horse in it. By the way, if 

 your paragon gets into a drain, deep and boggy, and is 

 apparently fast, don't stand on the bank and haul at the 

 reins and encourage the horse to come out at once. Let him 

 lie there a bit, he may be blown and not willing to try ; after 

 he has got his wind he may come out all right himself. If 

 he struggles now he may get deeper and faster. I never 

 used to enter into final negotiations with the wreckers of 

 Meath till I had given the horse a few minutes to see if he 

 would come out without their assistance. 



The narrow banks of Cork and Limerick want some doing ; 

 slow again is the word, your perfect horse pauses, pops on top, 

 kicks back and launches you into the next field in my 

 view, the finest sensation in all sport, the " feel " of that 

 powerful kick back and smooth glide to earth wants some 

 beating. One of the most impressive obstacles is the " big 

 double," met only in Ireland, often in Meath, sometimes in 

 Kildare and Tipperary, a fine example of which is to be seen 

 at Punchestown. You must have a bit of pace at this. Picture 

 a big, wide drain in front of something like a haystack, the 

 oblong, not the round, variety. Taking off from the edge of 

 the drain the horse jumps against this. I say against because no 

 horse could jump right on top. Having got half way up, a 

 couple of quick, short strokes puts him on top. From this 

 position, if fright does not make us close our eyes, as it always 

 did me at first, we see another wide drain, formidable enough 

 in itself, but aided by his elevated position, the horse springs 

 out and across and away into the field beyond. The ordinary 

 brook, with the water visible and bank high, is a bit of a 

 poser. Here you may go as fast as you like, and if you have 

 no other guide as to its width, jump where hounds cross, it will 

 be where the fox crossed and he would try to get over at the 

 narrowest place. Willows, or near a tree, mark the soundest 

 places. Be careful jumping under the boughs of trees. There 



