1 66 THE TURF 



liberties, " tear them up by the roots " in the florid 

 phraseology one sometimes hears from the riders. 

 The jumps consequently have to be mended, re-made 

 in fact, and so the courses necessarily become 

 artificial. 



As the courses have altered, so have the animals 

 that cross them. Hunters are still sometimes found 

 competing, but one hears their owners excusing hope- 

 less defeats by the remark, " I had no sort of chance, 

 you know; mine was only a 'fox-catcher.'" This 

 term as applied to the steeplechase horse is one of 

 depreciation: the "fox-catcher" has not the speed 

 requisite for the winning of 'chases, nor does he jump 

 in the style of the well-schooled steeplechaser, A 

 hunter dwells at his fences ; he has to be steadied, his 

 leap is a special effort, and he pauses when he lands. 

 The 'chaser must fly his fences and " get away from 

 them " without dwelling. The two animals do their 

 work in different ways ; the 'chaser, indeed, is quite a 

 modern product. A little schooling in the hunting- 

 field may be good for the steeplechase horse ; if he 

 has on his back a rider who is at once bold and 

 judicious, he may possibly learn to be clever. But 

 this is only one branch of his education ; he must 

 undergo another and a special course of preparation if 

 he is to win credit "between the flags." The 'chaser 

 when he has become too slow for this particular 

 business may make an excellent hunter ; but he is apt 

 as a rule to rush his fences, to jump them in his old 



