BUCK-JUMPITTG H0ESE3. 249 



X. Y. Z. into the error of Irish horses being "in- 

 variably" buck-jumpers. 



Let an Irish sportsman come to England for the 

 first time and mount him on a Leicestershire hunter, 

 without having given the rider a previous caution, 

 he would throw the horse completely out of his 

 stride, and, probably, into his leap, by using the 

 almost invariable practice with Irish riders of lifting 

 horses at their leaps ; and, vice versa, mount an 

 English rider, under the same circumstances, on 

 Irish horses, he will find he can make no hand of 

 them at all, though in either case the rider may be 

 as judicious and bold a horseman as ever bestrode a 

 saddle, and each horse as perfect a hunter as ever 

 gladdened the eye of a sportsman. 



A friend of mine had a horse that he complained 

 of as not being able to make leap, but on the con- 

 trary, would not raise himself at his fences. He 

 added, as a more singular thing, that he had under- 

 stood it was an Irish horse, who he had always 

 heard were remarkable for their jumping attributes, 

 I begged to see him perform. He put his groom on 



