RAILWAY ACCOMMODATION 231 



There are several objects attained by having horses 

 thoroughly dressed before they are put mto the railway 

 boxes. Much of the risk of taking cold is diminished. 

 The dirt and perspiration, clogging up the pores of the 

 skin, must have an injurious effect upon the coat and 

 consequently the system generally if suffered to remain 

 when the horses are not in action; and, if last not least, 

 the great saving of time when they arrive at their home 

 stables, where, very little being requisite in the way of 

 dressing, two active men will be able to perform every- 

 thing that is necessary and have a horse shut up in half 

 an hour. Rest to a tired hunter is of the utmost im- 

 portance ; humanity demands for him the most 

 scrupulous attention, and interest goes hand in hand. 

 Horses can come out again so much sooner if they are 

 carefully managed in this respect than if they are dis- 

 turbed till a late hour in the evening and uselessly har- 

 assed on the following day. 



Knowing the injurious effects which are produced by 

 long railway journeys on the day of hunting, if I were 

 to hunt from London I should adopt one of the two 

 following plans : I would either keep my horses in the 

 country, or confine myself to hunting within five-and- 

 thirty miles of town, so that I might generally have my 

 horse in his own stable by six o'clock. There is, how- 

 ever, an objection to this, for there is very little good 

 country within that distance. Duly considering all 

 things, I should certainly prefer keeping my horses in 

 the country ; for although the difficulties which my kind 

 correspondent enumerates would have great weight, 

 still there are many things which, being balanced 

 against each other, must award the preference to that 

 arrangement. I am rather at a loss to know how a 

 horse can be got into hunting condition in London, 

 where there are none but hard roads to exercise upon. 

 I should much prefer the country within reach of 

 Bletchley, Wolverton, Blisworth, or Weedon, on the 

 London and Birmingham line, to that of Berkhamp- 

 stead or Tring. If I selected the Great Western line as 



