124 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



hardly be said that if either man or woman makes a 

 debut in the hunting world under the auspices of some 

 one who has hunted enough to be an authority there is 

 little chance of anything going wrong, but it may 

 happen that the average new beginner of mature years 

 is really new to hunting because he has not been in the 

 way of seeing it or hearing it discussed. Had he lived 

 amongst hunting people he would, even if he had not 

 hunted, have known something about the sport, and in 

 the event of his suddenly taking to hunting it would be 

 almost impossible for him to commit himself in the 

 matter of general turn-out. But the average recruit is 

 not only ignorant in some degree of what he is about to 

 participate in, but is very often not in the way of procur- 

 ing sound advice. He may possibly not know enough 

 to apply for advice in the right quarter, and may easily 

 seek the assistance of some one who is only a little less 

 ignorant than himself. Or he may rely solely upon his 

 groom, and this is a most risky business, because many 

 grooms, even after they have lived in good places where 

 everything was correctly done, are little able to dis- 

 criminate between good taste and bad. 



A really first-rate groom, who has taken mental notes 

 of what he has seen, and who is able to decide correctly 

 on matters connected with turn-out, is a treasure, but 

 such treasures are few and far between, and it is little 

 use a new beginner relying upon his groom unless he 

 knows that the groom's opinion is sound enough to be 

 followed. 



The matter of saddles and bridles is to many men an 

 unimportant one, but a bad saddle and a coarse heavy 

 bridle, with the reins buckled instead of sewn on to the 

 bits, will spoil the appearance even of a really good- 

 looking horse, and a clumsy ill-fitting saddle, the 



