FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



vibration are communicated to the rider, owing 

 to lack of sufficient spring in the construction of 

 the frame and wheels, whereas in the latter 

 pneumatic tyres, coupled with spring seat and 

 other devices, to a great extent counteract con- 

 cussion. The heavily boned hound, with his 

 short, upright pasterns, and contracted feet, 

 suffers severely from jar and concussion, par- 

 ticularly in rough country, because there is no 

 spring in a backward direction at the knee, there- 

 fore the jar is communicated via the shoulder 

 and the spinal vertebrae to the brain. In the 

 case of human beings, the majority of our best 

 cross country runners have all been light weights, 

 the big, heavy boned men showing to the best 

 advantage at shot putting and the like, where 

 weight and strength are more needful than 

 activity and pace. In the same way for long 

 journeys in wild countries, ponies stand the work 

 far better than big horses, being more active, 

 much hardier, and less clumsy on their feet. In 

 soft, or rough going, it is the light weight that 

 sinks in least, and tackles the steep ups and downs 

 with the greatest ease. We have seen this 

 proved again and agam on the Ivakeland fells in 

 the case of standerd type hounds running with the 

 fell packs. Such hounds are invariably quite 

 outpaced by the light framed local hounds, when 

 it comes to negotiating rocks, screes, and ground 

 lying at a steep angle. In many instances, the 

 fore end of the standard hound exhibits bone in 

 disproportion to that in his hind quarters. At- 

 tention has been centred more on the production 

 of bone in his forelegs than his hind, and the same 

 applies to the shape of his feet, the hind feet being 

 still much as nature intended them to be, while 

 the forefeet have been abnormally developed. 



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