158 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



Underbred horses are as much out of place in the 

 Shires as a selling plater is in the Ascot Cup, and 

 though there are men who can even go to the front on 

 very moderate horses in some of the provincial hunts, 

 the same trick cannot be performed in the Shires. 

 Doubtless readers, will remember Mr. Sawyer's wonder- 

 ful ride on Marathon, as described by Whyte Melville, 

 and if they do it will not be forgotten that Marathon 

 was only a common, underbred beast, who merely 

 distinguished himself because he got through an 

 apparently impossible fence. 



Not only are good horses a necessity, but a smart 

 turn-out is imperative, and though good clothes and 

 good saddlery cost little more than indifferent ones, 

 Leicestershire requires quantity as well as quality, if 

 hunting is to be indulged in on four or five days of the 

 week. Boots, breeches, coats, and habits cannot be 

 brought out day after day without becoming all too 

 quickly shabby. Should the rider come home wet, too, 

 the drying of his or her clothes should be a very 

 gradual process, and the same thing applies to saddlery. 

 Indeed, after considerable experience, and much con- 

 sideration of the subject, we have come to the conclusion 

 that all hunting men and women should, if they can 

 afford it, be provided with a full rig-out for each day of 

 the week on which they hunt, and if economy is an 

 object they should at least be prepared with two sets 

 of clothes for every three days of sport. As regards 

 saddles and bridles much depends upon the horses. 

 We have known men who on every occasion of their 

 getting a new horse had a man down from a crack 

 London saddler to measure the new purchase for a 

 saddle, and we have known others who managed well 

 on to a hundred days a season with one good saddle, 



