3H0 RIDING TO HOUNDS 



as also the necessity of horses being in the very best tune to attempt 

 it. The instance I now allude to was with the Duke of Eutland's 

 liounds when Shaw hunted them. There was, as usual, a large 

 field on the day I speak of ; but, what is very unusual in Leicester- 

 shire, the covert in which we found our fox was surrounded by a 

 wall. This wall, in the direction the fox went off, was not to be 

 jumped ; but there was a bridle-gate, which the first man who was 

 lucky enough to get through was Mr. John Storey (better known in 

 the Sporting World by the name of Jack Storey) , on the old race- 

 horse Cockspinner. Strange as it may appear, Mr. John Storey, 

 upon Cocksjnnncr, wan the only vian who saw that run, although it 

 lasted but twenty-two minutes, and there was not a fence to stop 

 any horse deserving the name of a hunter. Seeing Mr. Lindo on 

 Petruchio, and Mr. Davy — no better pilots — making for a place in 

 the side wall, which was practicable, I followed them ; but in 

 consequence of a rail being on the other side of it, which obliged us 

 to take it at twice, and meeting immediately with another double 

 fence, added to the acute angle we made by going over the side wall, 

 we never could get near the hounds. The horse I rode had just 

 been whniing Hunters' Stakes, and, as before observed, there were 

 no impracticable lences in the way ; but I never caught a sight of the 

 pack over that fine country, until just as they were running in to 

 their fox, when I saw them on some rising ground better than a 

 mile ahead. When Shaw came up, he pulled out his watch, 

 and exclaimed, " Beat two miles in twenty-two minutes, by 

 G— d! " 



This is one among some hundred instances of horses not being 

 able to live with hounds unless they not only start with them ; but 

 as the speed of hounds has been ascertained to be superior to that 

 of horses, it is absolutely necessary, to enable them to live witli 

 them at their deepest rate, that they should not only not go over as 

 much ground as they do, ])ut by turning inside, and not outside 

 them, they should, consequently, go over less. 



In some countries, getting well away with hounds is diliicult and 

 uncertain. Where coverts are large, on windy days it is almost 

 even betting whether a man gets a good start or not. It is true, 

 though singular, tliat in woodlands, foxes will often run the same 



