I 1 THE HUNTER. 



HUNTING is obviously one of the most severe labours of the horse, yet one that 

 is so generally attractive to him, that there are well authenticated anecdotes of old 

 hunters inspired by the music of their fellow -sportsmen the hounds, breaking 

 posture over the most dangerous fences, following the chase, and coming first in 

 at the death ! The present writer had a mare which performed this, taking a most 

 <!(>] >erate leap over a lofty -pointed paling, on the other side of which was a well, 

 which it is almost a miracle that she cleared. The joints of a horse cannot be 

 sufficiently fixed until six years old, to go through with safety a season's hunting ; 

 although at five he should be cautiously and moderately used in the field. His 

 education consists chiefly in being taught to leap the bar, standing, since gene- 

 rally, all horses will take a flying leap, in some form or other. The practice of the 

 i.i: APING UAR furzed around, is well known ; but some grooms are too harsh and 

 hasty with the young horse, whence many of irritable tempers can never be after- 

 wards made staunch leapers. 



The Irish horses are renowned as leapers, both standing and flying, to be attri- 

 buted in some measure to their form, sharp and frigate-built, but more to the 

 indefatigable training bestowed upon them, and to the desperation of Hibernian 

 riders, which has often ended in the ruin of the horse, and not seldom to the 

 breaking of the rider's bones, or of the master-bone his neck. Two Irish grooms 

 were drinking at a public-house door, one upon his master's hunter, then in 

 isc : the bet of a cup of whiskey was made, that the horse could not clear a 

 m lo-h horn-in o- wall. The height of it, viewed from a horse's back, was tremen- 

 dous: nevertheless, full to the brim, both of right Irish mettle and of whiskey, 

 Patrick offered the leap standing to his nag; the horse was as truly Irish as his 

 rider, but had drank no whiskey; therefore, after a little hesitation, he reluctantly 

 n fused the offer; on which the half-mad groom, turning the horse about, and 

 cantering him to a considerable distance, turned him again, and with his riding 

 switch up about the horse's ears, ran him at the wall. The generous horse, 

 a>h;m..<l to refuse a second time, made a desperate leap; but being incapable 

 of o'ertopping such an altitude, his forefeet struck against the summit ; yet the 

 violence of his exertion carrying him over, he grounded on the other side on his 

 head and fore-quarters, both his fore legs being broken in the fall. Most unfortu- 

 nately, for the example sake, the fellow escaped with only a few contusions. The 

 wretched horse, from the absence of his proprietor, was kept several days in tor- 

 ture, l>efore he was shot. Who would have wondered, had the master proved 

 'M'">llv mad with his servant, and shot him also! As a memento and caution to 

 y.Hinir in. -n, the following unfortunate fact, within the writer's personal knowledge 

 merits a place here. Mr. 8. an Essex Yeoman of considerable property, about 

 one and twenty years of age, jolly and good-natured, and on the point of matri- 

 mony, was riding his hunter over the farm. Jn stooping to unfasten a five-barred 



