RIDING A PIG 69 



and the boar. You are nearest the pig, and have 

 a right to your line. The other man must either 

 go further out or pull up and go behind you. In 

 either case a sharp turn on to the hog leaves you 

 with a tiring pig in front, and your adversary with 

 a long stern chase behind. I was doing this to 

 my complete satisfaction on Crispin against S in 

 this year's Kadir Cup. My horse put his foot in 

 a hole, we both fell and were hors-de-combat, while 

 S went on and speared. 



In easy country a deliberate jostling run, among 

 men who know each other well and are not novices, 

 is quite amusing. Only it must be agreed on before- 

 hand, otherwise the more reputable members of 

 the gang get caught napping. I remember one 

 pleasant ride through light grass girth high. Three 

 of us were abreast, and the only reason the right- 

 hand man alone speared was that the other two 

 were each so busy riding off their right-hand 

 neighbour that they had no room to get their spear 

 hands down. It was pointed out to the right-hand 

 man that he had had an unfair advantage in having 

 no one on his right. 



The signals in pig- sticking are universal and 

 well known. Spear horizontal across hat means 

 sow or squeaker. Spear pointed at arm's length 

 in any direction means a boar viewed. It should 

 be accompanied by shouts as the pig turns, and can 

 hardly be mistaken as the signaller should be 

 galloping. A hand waved in the air means that 

 you are not on the pig. A hand twisting vertically 

 at the wrist, when made to a man elsewhere when 

 guarding a beat, may mean " where is the pig ? 5: 

 Some people do not understand this. 



An expert can and does distinguish a boar from 



