THE FIELD 137 



a great deal, there are others who will be at a loss how 

 to act. The beginner, then, should understand that he 

 owes a duty to the master, a duty to those he hunts 

 with, and a duty to the farmers whose land he rides 

 over. As regards the master, he must be particular 

 not to do anything which is inconsistent with the un- 

 written laws of the sport. He must not thrust himself 

 forward ; he must keep his horse well clear of hounds, 

 especially at the meet, or on the way to covert ; and if 

 in the course of the day he happens to be in a gateway 

 or in a road where hounds have to pass, he must get as 

 far away as possible and turn his horse's head towards 

 them. This is most important, especially if the be- 

 ginner's horse should happen to be as new to hunting 

 as he is, for in that case the horse might easily lash out 

 and kill a hound. 



Indeed, one is inclined to think that more hounds are 

 kicked by the horses of novices and by the horses of 

 grooms on carriage horses than by the horses of 

 ordinary hunting folk, and this is remarkable because 

 novices and grooms on carriage horses form a very 

 small portion of any field. Carriage horses, when 

 taken out hunting occasionally, very often misbehave 

 themselves in all sorts of ways, and the beginner 

 should always avoid this starnp of nag, unless it 

 happens to be one of the general utility sort, which are 

 as much at home in the hunting field as they are in 

 harness. 



It may be pointed out that nothing creates a worse 

 impression than a. faux pas at the commencement of a 

 hunting career, and about the worst thing which can 

 happen to a beginner is for his horse to kick, or even 

 kick at and miss, a hound. In a country where fields 

 are always large, and where some strangers are present 



