36 WORK. 



A horse in the saddle is capable of travelling a hun- 

 dred miles, or even more, in twenty-four hours, if re- 

 quired ; and if the weight be light, and the rider judi- 

 cious, such feats may be done occasionally without 

 injury : but if a journey of a hundred miles be contem- 

 plated, it is better to take three days for its perform- 

 ance, each day's journey of over thirty miles being 

 divided into two equal portions, and got through early 

 in the morning and late in the afternoon; the pace an 

 alternate walk and trot at the rate of about five miles 

 an hour, to vary it, as continuous walking for so long 

 as a couple of hours when travelling on the road, may 

 prove so tiresome that horses would require watching to 

 keep them on their legs ; and it is good for both horse 

 and man that the latter should dismount and take the 

 whole, or nearly the whole, of the walking part on bis 

 own feet, thus not only relieving his bearer from the 

 continual pressure of the rider's weight on the saddle on 

 his back, but as a man when riding and walking brings 

 into play two completely distinct sets of muscles, he 

 will, though a little tired from walking, find himself on 

 remounting positively refreshed from that change of 

 exercise. 



This recommendation is equally applicable to the 

 hunting-field at any check, or when there is the least 

 opportunity. So well is the truth of the above remark 

 known to the most experienced horsemen, that some 

 of them, steeplechase riders, make it a practice before 

 riding a severe race to walk rapidly from five to ten 

 miles to the course, in preference to making use of any 

 of the many vehicles always at their disposal on such 

 occasions. 



It is only surprising that the expediency of making 



