CHAPTER XVII. 

 WITH HOUNDS. 



THE distance which we can hunt from home varies according 

 to our means of communication. With the railway, all things 

 are possible in this respect. If we have to ride to a meet on a 

 horse we intend to steer in the wake of foxhounds, we may 

 accept ten miles as an ordinary maximum length for this 

 preliminary journey, which might in exceptional cases be 

 extended to another four miles, provided that the road was 

 level and good, and that the rider took his horse quietly, and 

 arrived early enough at the meet to get off his horse's back 

 for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. Even at ten 

 miles from home, our animal would probably have to travel on 

 a good day from 35 to 40 miles, which would be quite far 

 enough, considering the variety of country he would have 

 to traverse. If our horse is to be led to the meet, and we 

 can drive out or ride on a covert hack, a couple of miles 

 may be added to the limit in question. In all cases of 

 road work, when riding to a meet, or returning from 

 hunting, we should do as little cantering or galloping as 

 practicable, and should take advantage of every soft bit 

 of " going " we can find on the side, and thus save our 

 mount from the " 'ammer, 'ammer on the 'ard 'igh road," 

 which is a prolific cause of round joints, splints, hot feet 

 and other forms of unsoundness. 



The orthodox " hounds' pace," when taking hounds to the 

 meet and home, is six miles an hour. As a rule, the slower 

 a huntsman is in chase, the faster he goes from covert to 



