314 



RIDING FOR LADIES. 



" dash " his haunches under him at the big jumps. He 

 should have good shoulder action, but it matters little (as 

 I have said) about that of the knees. 



A hunter is thought to be in his prime at six years old, and 

 if this be the case, every hunter in the kingdom — especially 

 those with which dealers have anything to do — must be 

 just arrived at that happy meridian, for surely no one has 



WELL-BRED HAUNCH. 



ILL-BRED HAUNCH. 



ever yet inquired the age of such an animal without being 

 told that he was "just six year old," or " rising " it. I have 

 known some admirable hunters, however, who had passed 

 the familiar landmark by four years or upwards ; and in the 

 west of Ireland I saw one, and rode him too, who was said 

 to be eighteen years old, and certainly a finer fencer it has 

 rarely been my lot to handle. 



