Echoes of the Hunting Horn 



It takes a surprisingly long time for a horse's nerves 

 to become steeled against the movements and noise of 

 a whip, and it is not advisable to leave off his education 

 in such matters until the opening meet. If one is riding 

 a nervous, highly-strung four-year-old and is foolhardy 

 enough to commence operations on that day, one stands 

 a sporting chance of spending the opening meet in 

 hospital. 



The primary object to remember with a nervous 

 young horse who is destined to carry a huntsman is 

 that he must never be given reason to connect the whip 

 with pain. As soon as he realises that it is not meant 

 to hurt him he will cease to be terrified by its movements. 

 Riding along a quiet road the thong of the w r hip may 

 be let swing gently to and fro out on the off side. His 

 eye will be riveted on it perpetually, but with kind 

 voice and gentle handling he will eventually allow its 

 swinging to continue. Later on it can be dangled 

 carelessly on the near side. Back at the yard of his 

 home, where he is in familiar surroundings, with little 

 chance of anything untoward startling him, he must be 

 made to ignore the actual feel of the thong. 



It may seem strange how any horse could be expected 

 to stand still while the lash or thong of a heavy hunting 

 whip strikes him. One can crack a hunting whip in 

 several ways, but when it is swung correctly the crack 

 or report of the whipcord will take place in mid-air, 

 well above, beyond, and clear of the horse's head. What 

 the thong strikes, after the actual whip-crack takes 

 place, is of small account, as the viciousness has died 

 in the lash. Prior to the whip-crack, a lash stroke can 



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