RIDING A PIG 79 



He says that, given a horse that knows his job, 

 all that you need to do to hold your own after pig 

 is to make up your mind to leave his head alone, 

 and keep your eye on the pig. In crossing an 

 English or Irish country, the getting out of each 

 field presents a fresh problem, how and where to 

 have this fence, etc. A mistake in any one of your 

 decisions may cost you half the day's pleasure. 



In a fast thing, with a big field out, you feel far 

 more jostled and hurried, at the start at any rate, 

 than in pig - sticking. You have the whole field 

 against you in getting a start. In pig -sticking 

 your heat and the pig are all helping you, if you 

 need help, to get over the country : it is only at 

 the end that the feeling of competition and anxiety 

 comes in. 



He agrees with Major Garden's view that, owing 

 to its surroundings, you get more pleasure for the 

 time and money spent out of fox-hunting than pig- 

 sticking, but there is no denying the fierce joy of 

 a spear in hand and a boar in front with the faint 

 swish of the grass behind to tell you that your heat 

 just can't quite get there. 



Another good man to pig and hounds, to whom 

 I sent these remarks, writes : 



I am certain that hunting wants more skill and judgment. 

 On the other hand, I make no question that pig-sticking 

 is a higher test of horsemanship. I have seen real good men 

 to hounds who were not Al horsemen, but cannot think 

 of a really first- flight pig-sticker who is not a really good 

 horseman. 



Speaking from the pig-sticking point of view, 

 I venture to make one or two remarks on all these 

 views. 



I quite agree with the writers as regards their 



