112 HUNTERS. 



with the spur, as the first intimation that he is wanted to jump 

 forward. If daily practised to walk and to stand a long time in 

 row, and then at some painless signal to start off with companions 

 at no furious pace, and to pull up soon, without any racing, the 

 young horse would come to learn that he need not tear himself to 

 pieces before his race begins, nor be prancing ten yards behind, 

 or with his head the wrong ^N-ay, when the flag drops. Trainers 

 might often agree together or with any friend on horseback to 

 introduce occasionally the excitement of strange company, which 

 would, no doubt, be an important part of the lesson. 



226. — In the hunting field, cruelty is often seeu. Amongst 

 every class of men, a few excej^tionally hard hearts are to be 

 found, whose pleasure is not marred by the keenest suffering of 

 the animal which serves them, and who even seem to think that 

 there is something glorious in riding a willing horse to death ; or, 

 what is a great deal worse, in frequently riding him to a state in 

 which he suffers all the pangs of a painful death. Still the life 

 of the average hunter is one to be preferred to the average life of 

 the daily harassed coach, cab, or butcher's horse, and, in good 

 hands, his life is one to be envied by most of the other classes of 

 his race. Much that we know al)out the best way to feed and 

 tend a horse to bring out his utmost capacity, has been learned 

 through the unbounded care and expense usually lavished on the 

 rich man's hunter ; whilst the high prices that have been given 

 for first-class hunters, have done much to keep up a superior breed 

 of riding and driving horses. 



THE HUNTER. 



227. — There is not mucli that is peculiar iu the education of 

 the hunter. It differs little from that of the education of a first- 

 class riding horse, which a hunter must always be. He should 

 have the best of mouths, that will control him uuder the very 

 great excitement of galloping in a crowd : he requires the utmost 

 confidence in his rider, and an unshaken conviction that he 

 must obey the rein, and fly over any possible obstacle at the 

 uro-ent call of a resolute horseman. He should never be taken 

 to the field by a timid irresolute rider, as for such riders no horses 



