248 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



Before passing onto the subject of other hats, it 

 would perhaps be well to draw the reader's attention 

 to certain rules of etiquette which should govern the 

 wearing of a top hat. 



1. Should never be worn before noon when hacking. 



2. It should never be worn except with a dress habit 

 and black boots. 



3. In the hunting field it should never be worn be- 

 fore November 1. (In locations where the hunting 

 season opens very early, the topper should only be 

 worn at "late" meets; in other words, it should never 

 be worn "cubbing.") 



4. In this country where top hats are in the minority, 

 and their presence is a trifle conspicuous, they should 

 never be worn excepting when one is mounted on a 

 high-class horse and, if hunting, by a rider who intends 

 to go hard and straight. The sight of some one wear- 

 ing a topper, when riding a hired nag is quite incon- 

 gruous, and only makes the poor animal look the 

 "rattier" for being so dressed-up. 



To break these unwritten laws of the top hat is to 

 dub yourself a greenhorn in the eyes of those who know. 



For cub-hunting either a bowler,* or a black or gray 

 "Squire's" hat is very smart. The "Squire's" hat is 

 shaped rather like a topper, only it is squarer and lower 

 of crown and is made of a dull felt, similar to that used 

 in a bowler. A good Squire's hat can only be obtained 

 in England. 



* Generally speaking, only bowlers and toppers, intended for hunt- 

 ing, are made "hard," i. e., stiffened, so that they afford considerable 

 protection to the rider's head in case of a fall. I see no reason, how- 

 ever, why all riding hats should not be made in the same way. The 

 very slight difference in weight is more than made up by the protec- 

 tion afforded the head against tree limbs as well as falls, and also by 

 the fact that hard hats naturally wear much better than those of or- 

 dinary make, which become soft and sloppy if they ever get wet. 



