RIDING TO HOTTNDS 387 



be allowed in the iield, must be excusable in sucb riders as Mr. 

 liiiido. 



Having mentioned the name of Lindo, the seat on tlie horse 

 presents itself to my mind. Most persons are acquainted with his ; 

 for if they have not seen him ride over a country in the morning, 

 they have seen him " going a slapping pace " on a snuff-box in the 

 evening. The artist has hit him off to a nicety ; and every man who 

 is a judge must allow that he looks like a toorkman. He has got his 

 horse fast by the head with a firm and steady hand, and, at the pace 

 he is supposed to be going, he must receive no small advantage 

 from the assistance he is giving him, by standing up in his stirrups, 

 and thereby throwing his weight on that part of his horse's body 

 most able to bear it. 



With respect to the general propriety of standing up in the 

 stirrups when hounds run hard, circumstances must be consulted. 

 With men like Lindo — born to ride— no doubt can arise as to the 

 advantage of it ; but with heavy, long-legged riders, it is better to 

 sit quietly down in the saddle, particularly over ridge and furrow, 

 when it would be next to impossible for them to be quite steady in 

 their stirrups. It is my decided opinion, however, that a hunter's 

 head should never Ije loose, but that, over all sorts of ground, when 

 going a good pace, he should have some support from the hand. 



None but those who have had much experience in riding to 

 hounds know how much a horse is to be recovered in the middle of 

 a run by a little good management. Let a hunter be never so tit to 

 go, it is possible to blow him ; and when he has been going for 

 some time in deep ground, his wind naturally fails him to a greater 

 or lesser degree, and he becomes weak. If his rider can get him 

 out of this deep ground, even if he goes a little out of his line for it, 

 on to some that is quite sound, and, standing tip in his stirrups, will 

 take a good pull at his head, he will recover himself wonderfully in 

 a few hundred yards, although he may not be allowed to slacken his 

 pace at all. This also proves beyond all doubt the good effect of 

 holding a horse together v?ith a firm and steady hand. 



The most masterly instance of the use of a good Jiead in assisting 

 a horse over a country, in the way which I have been describing, 

 that ever came under my observation, was in that accomplished 



