'HANDS' AND OTHER MATTERS 139 



useless, but is frequently of a most harmful nature. 

 Extraordinary '' yarns " are spun them, and such 

 faults as they attempt to correct are on false sup- 

 positions, while the most glaring errors are allowed 

 to pass without comment. With those children 

 who only go out with their fathers the case is 

 somewhat better, but I ask, with all due deference, 

 how many fathers are really capable of good 

 instruction ? It is an art in itself, and even first- 

 class riders find the task rather beyond them. It 

 is by no means so easy as one might suppose. 



Apart, however, from the question of instruction, 

 I cannot believe that it can be good for children 

 to hunt. Short rides under supervision will do no 

 harm, but their little legs, and arms, and muscles 

 are quite ill -adapted to riding for long periods even 

 on quiet ponies. Accidents are common, and many 

 a man has had his nerve quite destroyed by riding 

 as a child. I think every one can recall incidents 

 of accidents which have been occasioned through 

 inexperience, or from insufficient strength to control 

 their mounts. Another reason is that children who 

 are keen — and some of them are very keen — do not 

 like to go home when hounds are running, or if 

 their parents still remain out. This often leads to 

 their coming back overtired, which brings in its 

 train a variety of disorders, nervousness, perhaps, 

 being the most common. Or again, a bad fall 

 may ruin a child's nerve. He may never be able 

 to get on a horse again, after some unfortunate 

 and perhaps painful incident. No. Taking all 

 things into consideration, one cannot advocate 



