100 THE HUNTER. 



the muscles, when the pace of hounds so far abates 

 as to allow him to break into a trot. 



Leaping. — One of the greatest accomplishments 

 in a hunter is being a perfect and safe leaper. The 

 situation of a sportsman riding a horse that is " un- 

 certain,"*" as the term is, at his fences, may be com- 

 pared with that of the philosopher, which Cicero 

 describes in his Tusculan Questions, as seated on 

 the throne of Dionysius, gazing upon the wealth 

 and splendour that surrounded him, with a naked 

 sword suspended over his head by a single thread. 

 But a horse following hounds often leaps under very 

 great disadvantaofes, which accounts for the nume- 

 rous falls sportsmen get. Putting aside the labour 

 of rising from the ground, which, to the horse, with a 

 weight on his back, must be great, from the earth's 

 attraction and the body's gravity, he has often to 

 take his spring without any fixed point for support ; 

 whereas, in most other cases, leaping takes place 

 on a fixed surface, which possesses the power of re- 

 sistance in consequence of its firmness. Neverthe- 

 less, although the surface yield to a certain degree, 

 leaping can still be performed, notwithstanding the 

 retrograde motion of the surface produces a great 

 diminution in the velocity of the leap, compared 

 with that which is made from firm ground ; and 

 the velocity is always greater in proportion as the 

 resistance is perfect. Thus it is, that we find 

 horses able to cover much greater obstacles in Lei- 

 cestershire, and the other grass countries, where 



