48 HORSES 



is capable or not of carrying your weight is a 

 question you must decide for yourself, but his 

 limbs must first of all be strong enough to carry 

 his own carcase. I think you will generally find 

 that a seller has a greater opinion of his horse's 

 weight-carrying abilities than any one else. 



A hunter must have a large proportion of 

 thoroughbred blood, and I would always prefer 

 a clean-bred one if he had the necessary sub- 

 stance to carry me. The advantage of riding 

 a fast horse to hounds is that you very seldom 

 have to gallops and he is only cantering when the 

 hairy-heeled sort are going at their best pace. In 

 hunting, however well you know the country, 

 you are always coming upon the unexpected, and 

 when a horse is cantering his limbs are under 

 control, so that he can change a leg or put in 

 an extra stride to avoid a difficulty at the last 

 moment. 



In steeplechasing your object is to get over the 

 fences as quickly as you can, and be first past 

 the winning - post ; but please remember that 

 hunting is a sport and not a race. Cast out the 

 spirit of emulation, never mind what your friends 

 are doing, and think only of hounds. Your aim 

 and object is to be as near the pack as possible 

 without over-riding them, and then to see the 

 fox killed. 



There are occasions out hunting, when you get 

 a bad start or are otherwise in a hurry to make up 

 lost ground, on which you must take chances and 



