The Holderness. 411 



autumn hounds occasionally run hard over it. The 

 inclosures are of great extent ; the fences of little 

 magnitude — being low quicksets without a ditch. 

 But on such days as hounds run, only a strong well- 

 bred horse can climb the hills quick enough to live 

 with them. Indeed, there is only one qualification 

 that a hunter for Holderness need not possess. 

 Timber- jumping is an unnecessary accomplishment. 

 Water- jumping', on the contrary, is a virtue that is 

 absolutely indispensable. You may put it, indeed, 

 with regard to Holderness as to many and many a 

 country that aspires to no higher than Class II. in the 

 list of foxhunting countries — it costs as much to buy 

 a first-rate horse for such a country as to find a 

 suitable animal for the cream of the Shires. Is it 

 worth doing ? Of course it is ; if your foxhunting 

 lines lie in such places. If you are obliged to be 

 there, you will naturally like to be as well mounted as 

 you can. You are not likely to select an inferior 

 country of your own choice : but if you are looking 

 about for a sphere in which to spend money upon horse- 

 flesh, you will in all probability choose a part of the 

 world which seems to you to offer most in return for 

 the investment. That taking part with the Holder- 

 ness is viewed from this light is proved by the fact 

 that very often not more than two or three red coats 

 reach the covert-side — and these do not invariably 

 accompany hounds in their search for an afternoon fox. 

 The landowners of the county mostly preserve foxes, 

 because it is according to the spirit and custom of 

 Yorkshire so to do (and it is said the stock of foxes is 

 increasing rapidly with the Holderness). But they 



