56 Comparative Enjoyment, 



skilled equestrian (is the author nearing a hornet's 

 nest ?) in France, or elsewhere across the Chan- 

 nel. But we naturally must seek the Continental 

 rider in the camp, for is not the Continent itself 

 one vast camp ? It is perhaps hard to decide 

 whether the cavalry officer who is master of the 

 intricacies of the manege or the country gentle- 

 man who has won a reputation with the Pytchley 

 or the Belvoir may be properly called the more 

 accomplished horseman. Each in his place is 

 unequaled. But is it not true, that the former 

 can more quickly adapt himself to the habits of 

 hunting than the latter to those of the Haute 

 Ecole ? And do not the methods of the School 

 give us more capacity for enjoying our daily 

 horseback exercise, than any amount of experi- 

 ence with hounds ? 



XVI. 



It is sometimes said in England that a School- 

 rider reining in his steed never looks as if he 

 were having a thoroughly good time, as does the 

 man who lets his horse go his own inspiriting 

 gait along the road. But why not.? Is inspira- 

 tion only found in excess of physical motion } If 

 so, to use an exaggerated comparison, why does 

 not Paddy at Donnybrook Fair, trailing his coat 

 and daring some one to tread on the tail of it, en- 

 joy himself more thoroughly than the man who 



