Fox-hunting Past and Present 



forties. He was kennel huntsman to the late 

 Mr. W. C. Standish during that gentleman's master- 

 ship of the Hursley and the New Forest fox- 

 hounds. I quote them here in the interest of all 

 concerned. 



*' No man should attempt to hunt a pack of fox- 

 hounds who has not a cool head, and particularly 

 a good temper. An excitable temperament is not 

 an acquisition ; its possessor may ride as hard as 

 he likes ; he will never make a good huntsman 

 — but that never catches foxes. Most huntsmen, 

 to our idea [Summers says], ride too hard ; nine- 

 teen out of twenty override their own hounds, 

 and drive them hundreds of yards over the scent, 

 leading the field after them ; for very few of the 

 sportsmen who attend the meets ever look at 

 the hounds : they ride at the huntsman, no.t to 

 the hounds. A huntsman will tell you that it is 

 not his fault that he overrides his hounds, but 

 ' the gentlemen do press on me so.' 



^^ A cool-headed huntsman with nerve will not 



allow himself to be hurried, and will see when his 



leading hounds have the scent and when they have 



not. He will take no notice of any man, and hunt 



hounds as though he, and he alone, were present, 



and consequently give satisfaction to the few that 



know anything about it (hunting) and catch his fox. 



He need take no heed of holloas or ask advice 



when hunting his hounds, but should have his own 



36 



