CONCLUSION. 75 



they are not wanted in the hunting field, and he further 

 tells me that he has worn no rowels in his spurs for a 

 dozen years. To all appearances he is, of course, 

 ^Tearing spurs like anyone else, but his idea is that the 

 steel shell in which the rowel is inclosed is all that is 

 wanted, and that a sharp rowel is often a source of 

 danger and of very little use. And doubtless there is 

 much truth in this remark, for a rider who is accustomed 

 to move his horse about with a touch of the spur can do 

 so well enough by touching him with the outer shell, 

 and men thus equipped have no chance of giving their 

 horses those long, railway -like lacerations which we so 

 often see. Not so long ago I was looking over some hunt 

 horses at Tattersall's which were to come up for sale on 

 the following day, and one particular horse bore a high 

 character, and greatly attracted a Master of hounds 

 who was with me. On removing the sheets, however, 

 no fewer than seven old spur lacerations or stripes 

 were visible, and my friend at once decided not to bid, 

 because he thought the horse must have fallen far too 

 often. In this particular case, therefore, the value of the 

 horse would appear to have been discounted because 

 of the spur marks, and even the knowledge that the 

 horse had been the frequent mount of a hard-riding 

 first whipper-in did not cause the M.F.H. to waver 

 in his opinion. For those who do not care to use sharp 

 rowels threepenny -bits may be recommended. An- 

 other correspondent writes that his daughter persuaded 

 him to allow her to wear a spur, and that shortly after- 

 wards she fell, owing to a rotten bank giving way 

 under her horse ; luckily, she was not hurt, but her 

 habit was split by her spur from top to bottom. This 



