RIDING YOUNG HUNTERS. 273 



sible, as not only will his horse be less alarmed at 

 the loss of his footing, but less liable to turn him- 

 self over. Thus in fording a brook too wide to 

 leap, and with a soft bottom, a horse should be 

 ridden tery slowly into it, which will enable him to 

 get his hinder-legs well under his body before he 

 makes his spring to ascend the opposite bank ; 

 which he cannot do if he enter the brook quickly. 



As the young sportsman may be induced to 

 " make his own horses," as the term is for qualify- 

 ing them for the appellation of hunters, it may not 

 be amiss to offer him a few words of advice. Be 

 careful, the first season, how you ride them at very 

 cramped places, especially where there is timber, 

 for they cannot be expected to be au fait at such 

 things ; and many of the worst falls that some of 

 our hard-riding sportsmen have experienced, have 

 been from expecting young horses to do what old, 

 or at least experienced ones, only can do. Avoid 

 also taking the lead with hounds, especially if they 

 run hard, with a young horse, for it may cause him 

 to refuse a big fence which he might have followed 

 another horse over, and thus become a refuser ever 

 afterwards. Although horses do not understand 

 languages, they understand the arbitrary signs of 

 their masters or riders ; and if a young hunter 

 makes a slovenly mistake with you at a fence, he 

 should be corrected with either spur or whip, and 

 also by the mice. The merely calling out to him, 

 or exclaiming, " For shame — what are you about, 

 eh ! " accompanied by a slight stroke of the whip, 

 has often a very good effect, and will be visible at 



