48 A HUNTING CATECHISM 



opposite foot it either does not move at all, or 

 else turns round so that the other part takes its 

 place, while being so loose mud does not stay 

 inside, if it gets in, and make a sore place. 



For long-striding young horses, and those that 

 are apt to strike their back-sinews with their 

 hind hoofs, a serge boot, brought out by the 

 writer about thirty-seven years ago, has proved 

 most useful. It consists of two thicknesses of 

 serge, or cloth sewn together in large " diamonds," 

 to go easily round the leg, and fasten with four 

 or five small straps. The advantage of this 

 fastening is that the bandage can be put on quite 

 loose, and is still safe. A mare of the writer's 

 won at Punchestown in 1879, and wore an 

 especial pair of black cloth bandages of this 

 description, because when racing she was in the 

 habit of going through the walls, and it was 

 feared she might do so on this occasion. 

 Kittiwake was ridden by the late Captain Morris, 

 7th Hussars, who said afterwards how fortunate 

 it was her legs had been thus protected, for she 

 went right through the wall and cut through the 

 two top straps. If she had been bandaged in the 

 ordinary way, and the strings had been thus cut, 

 the trailing bandage would in all probability 

 have become entangled round her legs, and 

 brought her to grief, or compelled her rider to 

 pull up to take them off. 



