CHAPTER IV . 



Brave son of Belzoni, be true to your breeding, 

 Sustain old traditions, remember jour sires. 



EGERTON WARBURTON. 



It is generally admitted that it is difficult 

 to find men who can ride four-year-olds to hounds 

 really well and carefully, men who can turn the raw 

 material, a four-year-old, into the finished article, 

 a hunter with manners . 



That being so, considering the number of riding 

 men who try, we may fairly argue that it is not a 

 perfectly easy process, and I think I may be able to 

 give a few hints which to a novice in hunter-making 

 will be useful 



There is no manner of doubt that a lad who 

 wants to ride four-year-olds in the making, and ride 

 them well, must have good nerves, a strong seat and 

 fine bands. Anyone who is reckless and excitable is 

 almost sure to fail, for he will get his four-year- 

 old into difficulties and lose its confidence/ Here 

 we have the cause of a great, if not the greatest, 

 trouble in finding good riders of four-year-olds; 

 it is so hard to find a man with iron nerves who is 

 free from a tendency to recklessness. 



However, if a lad has not good nerves he will 

 not enjoy riding young ones, and if it is not more 

 or less a joy to him, he will never do much good at 

 it. Bad or indifferent nerves very quickly react 

 on the young horse; some small thing frightens him, 

 a wild bound across the road is the result. If that 

 startles the rider, the pupil is conscious of it at 

 once, and it makes him more nervous; but if the rider 

 sits still and is quite unperturbed, the youngster 



