FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



stated, plain wire serves the same purpose equally 

 well where wire is at all necessary. In addition 

 to the hidden strands of wire in hedges, the next 

 most dangerous thing is the single wire set up on 

 light posts a few feet away from a fence. Un- 

 seen from the far side, a horse jumps straight into 

 it with deplorable consequences. There are 

 to-day on the market, a variety of woven wire 

 fences, at least one of which is coated with a 

 white, waterproof composition. Any horse can 

 see such a fence, and will jump it readily if it is 

 not too high. These woven fences are stouter than 

 the ordinary plain wire fences, and no more 

 dangerous to jump than a five-barred gate. One 

 constantly reads of the field being stopped by 

 "bird cages," through which hounds run, while 

 followers have to deviate via the nearest road. 

 A Colonial field would take the wire as it came, 

 and there appears to be no reason why the same 

 should not be done in this country, provided of 

 course that the wire is clear and visible. 



Whilst we hope it will be many a long day before 

 wire fences are universal in our hunting countries, 

 we nevertheless aver that it is better to jump 

 such fences than give up hunting altogether. 

 What we want is one thing or the other, a clean 

 natural fence, or a clean and visible wire fence, 

 but not the invisible strands of rusty barbed wire 

 which festoon so many of our hedges. 



242 



