RIDING ON EX MOOR. 359 



with a reddish tinge in it. This coloured grass 

 always grows on more or less soft ground, but it can 

 generally be crossed all right. The only real danger- 

 flags are the white tufts of cotton grass, which are 

 only to be found on ground which should be carefully 

 avoided. In a good many parts of the moor turf has 

 been dug for fuel from early times, and a half-filled 

 old turf hole is a very nasty thing to ride into ; it is 

 generally filled with the blackest of black slime, and 

 a horse is likely to fall in one ; but it must not be 

 forgotten that the hard underlying rock is there just 

 the same, and there are few, if any, of them that a 

 horse cannot flounder through, though it will be 

 much to the detriment of smart brown boots and 

 breeches. Anyone with the usual allowance of 

 common sense can ride quite safely anywhere on 

 Exmoor at a slow pace. The only difflculty is when 

 the moor has to be crossed at top speed, and then 

 empty saddles are fairly numerous, and riders go 

 home with tales of their adventures which, after 

 dinner, grow to magnificent proportions in the 

 smoking-room. 



There is only one fixed rule about dress with the 

 Devon and Somerset staghounds, and that is against 

 the wearing of pink, which is reserved for the Master, 

 Secretary, and hunt servants. This used not to be the 

 case, and at one time from a dozen to a score of pink 

 coats were to be seen at every meet, but the numbers 

 dwindled till only three or four regular members of 

 the hunt were so attired. Where it is necessary for 



