RIDING TO HOUNDS 377 



Northamptoushive, he rode over ii wide and deep brook at the same 

 time that a Eeverend Gentleman was floating down it, having been 

 landed in the middle of it. "The gentleman swims like a cork," 

 said Dick, without ever thinking of assisting him. This tumbling into 

 deep brooks, however, is no joking matter ; for when a man comes 

 to fall backwards with his horse into deep water, and, as it often 

 happens, gets under him, and remains there till his horse recovers 

 his legs, he may be said to be anywhere but in clover, and many narrow 

 escapes to uiy knowledge have been encountered. 



Several wagers have been made about leaping brooks in cool 

 blood. One was between Lord Alvanley and Mr. Maher, some 

 years since, in Leicestershire, for 100 guineas. It was that each 

 did not ride over a brook that measured six yards in the clear, 

 without disturbing the icater. They both cleared it handsomely, but 

 a bit of dirt being thrown back into it by Lord Alvanley 's horse, 

 after he had landed, it was of course decided against his Lordship. 



Among the accidents that happen from brook-jumping, over- 

 reaching horses is the most common. To guard against this, the 

 inside edge of the hinder shoes should be bevilled down with the 

 blacksmith's hammer, so as to make it quite harmless, as the best 

 preventive of over-reaching. 



A horse cannot be called a hunter unless he is a good brook- 

 jumper ; l3ut to be a very good one is a rare qualification. It is not 

 that almost every horse has not the powder of extending himself over 

 six or seven yards of water ; but a great many of them appear to 

 have a more natural dislike to it than to any other species of fence ; 

 and to get over a wide l)rook requires as much resolution in a horse 

 as in his rider ; and in no part of riding to hounds does a man 

 distinguish himself more. When I was in the habit of making 

 young horses into hunters, I found the best effect from the following 

 plan of education : — I used to pitch upon rather a soft meadow, 

 through which ran a small rivulet, or " brookling," as it is termed, 

 with shelving banks on each side, so that there was no possibility of 

 getting a fall by a young one putting his feet into it at taking off. I 

 then accustomed him to go three-parts speed at it, taking it in his 

 stroke, which he generally appeared to do with increased confidence 

 every time he was ridden at it. I never rode liini over it more than 



