202 FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



is acceptable of English winter pursuits. Like many other men 

 whose fate and duty it is to teach their own horses, I happen to 

 have built a kind of double corral which I term The Ring, 

 and which my stablemen persist in denominating The Circus. 

 Round this every young horse that comes into my possession is 

 called upon to exercise himself before being formally entered as 

 a hunter. And here he can rap his knees at his pleasure, or 

 blunder on to his head as often as he chooses, without op- 

 portunity of causing harm or fright to a rider. He thus learns, 

 quickly and with little risk to himself, that strong timber is not 

 to be brushed aside and that gorse bushes may have a more 

 solid background than a light hurdle. And in case of forget- 

 fulness, the lesson may with advantage be repeated on any 

 future and desirable occasion. Well, with the first breath of 

 frost I summoned all hands from the warm shelter of the cuddy 

 or, rather, from the saddle-room fire to spread stable litter 

 to the depth of a few inches over the ground that forms the 

 circus. By this means I beat Jack Frost by a short head. 



The Ring has remained in working order throughout this 

 spell of cold, and the youngsters have been able to canter daily 

 round with every advantage to themselves and to me. The 

 seizure of the opportunity has been all the more useful, because 

 however good any such system and theory of instruction may 

 be, it is often most difficult to carry out fully in practice, while 

 the weather is open and a stern sense of duty is compelling 

 the horsemaster to follow hounds five or six days a week. To 

 stop at home because the animal to be ridden has not yet com- 

 pleted the course of study meant to fit him for the position of a 

 hunter is far too much like abstaining from entering the water 

 till you can swim, and is altogether inadmissible under the 

 conditions of a short life and a due fondness for hounds. So 

 Ignorance has often to be brought out before his time, to take 

 the place of Bliss, as best he may. Thus, too, he may learn 

 quickly enough if a kind Providence will but protect his legs 

 and his rider's collar-bone during his first display of artless 

 and clumsy helplessness. I am a great believer in the efficacy 



