-56- 



but struck me as rather leggy, and I c rubbed it a good 

 deal. Next day he bought it for a very good figure, 

 which showed at least that ha attached no undue importance 

 to my judgment. In the winter I went to stay with him, 

 and as soon as I arrived he told me the new grey did not 

 i_o well with him, and . ■ refusing, and added that 

 he wanted me to ride it. I was, as usual, snort of 

 horses, and said I should be only too delighted. Now, 

 my friend's strong suit in riding to hounds was extreme 

 courage. He rather adopted the "loose rein and bloody 

 spur" methods. Although he went very -..ell en a horse 

 that suited him, I suspected the long-legged new purchase 

 got all abroad and sprawled about - felt, in fact, that 

 he was not collected enough to do himself justice at a 

 big fence, so refused. This idea proved correct, for 

 a few days later his owner returned to the subject and 

 ■eked me how I would ride the horse. Now, the state of 

 my stud made a practical illustration most desirable, but 

 we had i^ad a good hunt and a good dinner, so I handed on 

 the tip just us it was given to me. It was adopted, the 

 horse refused no more, and I never had my ride. 



The habit of selecting ground when hounds are running 

 must net be ignored, for it is an important matter, 

 short course cf hunting with foot beagles - a very 

 interesting sport - would do many people good on this point 

 and on several ethers. You do not, for instance, see 

 people on foot press in on hounds "at fault", as riders 

 too often do, nor do they chatter quite so much at a check, 

 but puff and blow in comparative silence. Neither do they 

 try to follow hounds when they are being cast, prepared 

 to press them the moment they recover the line and before 

 they can really settle to it. And, returning to the 

 question of selecting good going and easing your horse 

 when you can, any moderately intelligent human being, 

 running with beagles, will pick out the lightest, and 

 soundest ground he can find to run on, and will carefully 

 watch hounds to save, himself as much as possible. Sub- 

 stitute "ride" for "run", and that is what you nave to 

 do when riding to hounds. 



