66 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



value as a hack. Perhaps about three-fifths of 

 the quantity of oats a hunter gets in full work 

 will be an ample allowance. If he should be 

 wanted for one of those tours to which reference 

 has been made he would probably have to travel 

 from twenty to twenty-five miles a day. The 

 allowance of course would be then increased. 



The hack should always be exercised by a 

 careful steady man, and care should be taken, in 

 mounting him, that he is made to stand still when 

 mounted till he gets the signal to move on. For 

 this is one of the best qualities of a high-class 

 hack, to stand perfectly still when he is mounted. 

 And it is soon forgotten if the horse is ridden by 

 a careless groom. 



A few words perhaps may be said about a tour 

 on horseback. In these days the opposite sides 

 of the country are so near together that a man 

 can get a fresh supply of anything he wants from 

 home in a day or at most in a day and a half. So 

 I would advise the tourist, if he would travel in 

 comfort to travel ' light.* If the weather is 

 very hot it is desirable to travel in the early 

 morning and in the evening and rest during the 

 day. A horse in good condition wiU travel much 

 more than the twenty-five miles I have spoken 

 of, but it is to be presumed that the tourist is 

 not in a bad hurry, and that he wants to go 

 leisurely over the ground and see the country so 

 about that distance will be sufficient. He will not 

 want to tire either himself or his horse. It will 

 add to his experience and he will see more that is 



