HUNTERS 147 



is before you without apparently stopping much, 

 and then able to make a big jump, at short notice 

 from your wrist. A fall from a horse made and 

 shaped like this won't hurt you half as much, 

 probably, as one would from a tight-coupled, 

 strong-ribbed, and short-shouldered horse, built 

 like a grindstone, but with a constitution capable 

 of going hunting much oftener than my kind of 

 hunter. The first horse you can ride down to 

 the ground if you fall ; with the second you are 

 off before he gets there, with a great chance of 

 breaking your collar-bone. 



" Owing to wire, a galloping, hard-pulling, fine- 

 jumping young horse is not suitable for many 

 countries, though such were no pleasure to me 

 to ride at any time. I like a horse to ride that 

 will take a look for himself, with sense enough 

 for both of us. It saves many a fall ! One that 

 won't rush, and one that will get well up at his 

 timber when tired. Of course pace comes first. 

 A horse must have pace, and be a fine galloper to 

 be a hunter, and first class. 



" Don't pamper them in the stable like hot- 

 house plants. Give them plenty of good food 

 and water, and plenty of exercise, and never 

 allow them to be knocked about or punished. 

 Especially never punish at the wrong moment ; 

 and the less punishment the better in most cases. 

 If you fall out with, and punish your horse in 

 the morning, he very often repays you before 

 night. 



" I like rye-grass and white clover well har- 

 vested, and having taken just a proper heat in 

 the stack, better than meadow-hay to hunt on — 

 or, for the matter of that, to race on either. 



" When seeking to purchase a horse, if I find 



