HACKS AND HUNTERS, 2 £5 



I do not, however, as a rule, recommend young horse- 

 women to purchase aged hunters. I have generally found 

 them to be too crafty and clever, calculating their distances 

 too finely, and leaving themselves nothing at all to spare. 

 Better mount a young rider on a young, generous goer, 

 who will give himself a couple of feet or more over the 

 mark. 



Never judge of a hunter from seeing him jump in cold 

 blood, because many animals that will perform calmly and 

 collectedly over a schooling-ground, become so tremen- 

 dously excited in the hunting-field that they are altogether 

 beyond the powers of a lady to control. I need not say 

 that horses of this class are not only unpleasant, but are 

 highly dangerous mounts. 



I always advise ladies who have invested in anything 

 that they find disappointing — either a rusher, refuser, 

 plunger, or anything else — to entrust him at once to 

 thoroughly competent hands to break him of the vice. I 

 believe largely in horse-dealing farmers of the straight- 

 riding sort. A horse given up to one of these will be 

 exercised about the lands through the summer months, 

 taught to get slowly through gaps and over difficult fences, 

 made to stand quietly to be mounted, and ridden temper- 

 ately but with determination when hounds begin to run. 



A hunter that pulls should never be made use of by a 

 lady, but for my own riding I have always preferred an 

 animal that gave me something to do to hold him, to one 

 that stuck his head in the air and refused to take hold of 

 his bridle. I don't know anything that renders a lady 



