148 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 



tiptop form — a good bred one that can gallop and stay. On such a 

 one, lots of grand hunting may be seen if it cannot be done by even 

 a timid lady who dare not essay jumping. 



Turning, however, from the dehcate and timid to those whose 

 health and physique enable them to hold their own in the front 

 rank, I venture to point out a possible casualty that may happen in 

 himting, which, although not of frequent occurrence, may easily be- 

 attended with dangerous results if the fair rider with hounds is 

 unacquainted with the means of counteracting it. I allude to the 

 possibility of a horse in crossing a ford, where the stream is rapid 

 and the bottom uneven, losing his footing. I have seen tliis occur 

 more than once, both to good men and to ladies, and the result was 

 not only an immersion over head and ears, but considerable danger 

 as well. This is easily to be prevented, as follows : The fact of a 

 horse losing his footing in deep water is at once apparent by his 

 making a half plunge, and commencing to swim, which instinct 

 teaches him to do directly he feels that he is out of his depth. At 

 such a moment, if the rider confines the horse, he will inevitably 

 roll over in his struggle. The great thing, therefore, on such an 

 occasion is at once to give him his head, quitting the curb rein 

 entirely, and scarcely feeling the snaffle, " while any attempt to- 

 guide the horse should be done by the slightest touch possible " 

 (see "Aid Book"). The reins should be passed into the right 

 hand, with which, holding the crop also, the rider should take a firm 

 hold of the upper crutch of the saddle. She should, at the same 

 time, with her left hand raise her skirt well up, disengage her left 

 leg (with the foot, however, still in the stirrup), and place it over 

 the tliird crutch. By these means she will avoid any risk of the, 

 horse striking her on the left heel with his near hind hoof, which 

 otherwise in his struggle he would be almost certain to do. If a 

 horse is left to himself he will swim almost any distance with the 

 greatest ease, even with a rider on his back ; and there is no more 

 difficulty in sitting on him in the form above named than in canter- 

 ing on terra Jirma. It is absolutely necessary, however, to get the 

 foot — and especially the stirrup — out of the way, otherwise there is 

 always danger of his entangling himself with them or with the 



