:l7s RII)IN(; ro ITOIINDS 



three times in one day, taking care that he did not see it till he came 

 close to it. I have frequently seen six or seven yards, from side to 

 side, cleared in this Avay without apparent difficulty. The advantage 

 of this method is that it gives confidence to a young one, as, from 

 the nature of the ground, a mistake cannot happen ; and I have no 

 (louht hut that many liorses are prevented from ever being good 

 brook- jumpers by getting into brooks lief ore they know how to get 

 over them. I had a very satisfactory proof of the efficacy of this 

 plan three years ago with a thorough-bred horse just out of training, 

 and who, when I first had him, stopped and snorted even at a deep 

 cart-rut : after a few of these lessons, he would leap a very fair 

 brook — merely the result of confidence in himself. 



Amongst other countries, I hunted one season in Ireland ; and 

 there I found out the reason of the horses of that country being such 

 good drain-leapers, as they are called, which is to he attributed 

 solely to their education. If an Irishman has got a clever young 

 horse, which he means to make a hunter, he ]Duts a fellow moi'e than 

 half drunk on his back, with a pair of sharp spurs and a cutting whij) 

 (Anglicu, a hand- whip), and he gallops him at all sorts of fences 

 regardless whether he goes into them or over them — though with 

 the help of the instruments just mentioned, and a good " Ho}'ough ! 

 by Jasus, the devil a balk you're going to make now ! " the latter is 

 generally accomplished. In our o^vn country, however, I am sorry 

 to say, a little punishment is wanting to persuade most hoi-ses to 

 extend themselves over large brooks ; and " the persuadei's," as they 

 are termed, as well as a stroke or two of the whip down the 

 shoulders, are of the greatest use. It should here be observed, that 

 though the spui's should be applied when in the act of chai-ging a 

 l)rook, the rider's knees should be straightened before he comes to 

 the bank, oi\ in case of a refusal, a ducking must l)e the con- 

 sequence. 



Most people know what a number of l)rooks there are in the 

 Quorn and Belvoir countries ; and most sportsmen have heard what 

 a rare hand Tom Smith is at getting over them. The Styx itself 

 would scarcely stop him when a fox is sinking. This is to ])e 

 attributed to his resolute way of riding to hounds, by which his 

 horses know it is in vain to refuse* whatever he may put them at. 



