RIDING TO HOUNDS 27 



through the wood to the fence. By the time 

 you got up hounds had settled to run, and 

 whereas I had been standi no-, walkino-, and 

 trotting, you had been galloping all the time." 



Now I have quoted these remarks because 

 they show, in my opinion, the principles on 

 which a man must ride if he has not the very 

 best horses. If he has — -and this is not always, 

 though it is generally, a question of money— he 

 has nothing to do but sit down and ride. If 

 we look back over the past history of hunting 

 we shall find that the great riders had, as a rule, 

 first-rate horses. The two Lords Forester, Mr. 

 Assheton Smith, Sir Richard Sutton, Mr. Little 

 Gilmour, Sir Thomas Whichcote, and others of 

 the great riding heroes of the past, were always 

 well mounted. Of men who have gone in the 

 front rank on bad horses and are still hunting, 

 I can recall but three of the many I have seen 

 or known. 



One of the leading principles of riding safely 

 to hounds is the choice of ground so as to 

 reduce the horse's labour as much as possible, 

 and to economise his strength. I entirely 

 approve of the choice of the path, of the 

 avoidance of ridge and furrow ; and I would 

 ask riders to note the wisdom of going into 

 the road when opportunity serves and the 

 horse begins to tire. As to the pace at which 



