RIDING AND DRIVING 65 



at the knee. There are now in most provincial 

 towns tailors who can make breeches fairly well, 

 but until recently it was impossible to get them 

 outside of London. However good a tailor may 

 be with other articles of apparel, it is hopeless to 

 get breeches from him unless he has made them 

 a speciality, and the best London man will fail 

 without he is given sufficient opportunities of try- 

 ing on. The fit of breeches is quite as important 

 to the comfort of the wearer as it is to his general 

 appearance. For your own sake and that of your 

 friends you should clothe yourself in a manner that 

 defies criticism — perfection in lit with sober pattern 

 and colouring. Here let me repeat, that dress 

 which will pass muster on foot may become a 

 glaring eyesore when you are on the back of a 

 horse. 



For ordinary riding purposes you can please your- 

 self, and you have a wide range wherein to make your 

 choice, but if money is a consideration, you would 

 do well to have things which will stand the strain 

 of a day's hunting. Riding-boots are rather ex- 

 pensive articles when required only once or twice 

 a year, but a neat pair of leather gaiters do equally 

 well for an occasional day, and your feet can be 

 shod in ordinary walking boots. Stout cloth 

 breeches of a material which I believe is called 

 whipcord will stand an immensity of wear, and 

 when '^strapped," i.e. patched, with buckskin on 

 inside of the knee will last several years. 



The Newmarket boot, which has a box-cloth leg 



E 



