IRISH HUNTERS. 149 



the colt shows himself an experienced hunter when 

 it is necessary to leap. Not yet mouthed, with unformed 

 paces and wandering action, he may seem the merest 

 baby on the road or across a field, but no veteran can 

 be wiser or steadier when he comes within distance 

 of it, or, as his owner would say, when he " challenges " 

 his leap, and this enthusiast hardly over-states the truth 

 in affirming that his pupil " would change on the edge 

 of a razor, and never let ye know he was off the 

 Queen's high-road, God bless her, all the time!" 



The Irishman, like the Arab, seems to possess a 

 natural insight into the character of a horse; with 

 many shortcomings as grooms, not the least of which 

 are want of neatness in stable-management, and 

 rooted dislike to hard work, except by fits and starts, 

 they cherish extraordinary affection for their charges, 

 and certainly in their dealings with them obviously 

 prefer kindness to coercion. I do not think they always 

 understand feeding judiciously, and many of them have 

 much to learn about getting horses into condition ; but 

 they are unrivalled in teaching them to jump. 



Though seldom practised, there is no better system 

 in all undertakings than " to begin with the beginning," 

 and an Irish horse-breaker is so persuaded of this great 

 elementary truth that he never asks the colt to attempt 



