192 THE IIUNTING-FIELI). 



they raise tliemselves, wliat is a gate to otlier 

 horses, is a stile in height to them/^ 



"Then/^ said my friend, ^^ great height must 

 be a great advantage in a hunter. " 



" If he had nothing to do but take standing 

 jumps, no doubt the bigger the better; but spring 

 is the great thing in a flying leaper ; and so far as 

 galloping goes, though length of stride tells with 

 the racer for a mile and a half, fifteen, two, or 

 three is in my humble opinion the true lasting 

 galloping height for the generality of countries or 

 even courses, if of a long length. In riding at 

 the brook, as you saw Mullins do to-day in a 

 most unworkmanlike way, it mattered little with 

 him ; for, I dare say, his horse, since he rode him, 

 has jumped that brook a hundred times, so he 

 knows what to be at : but ride the generality of 

 long-striding horses like him at the same place, in 

 the same way, the consequence would be, from 

 want of shortening their stride in coming to it, 

 they would take off five or six feet further from 

 the bank than necessary, thus making fifteen feet 

 twenty-one, and in proportion as might be the 

 width of water. 



"There are three leaps that many bold and 

 good riders like least of any, namely, timber, 

 water, and walls. Without pretending to equal 

 such riders, I object to neither, provided your 

 horse is fresh and knows his business. I consider 



