176 HUNTING. 



you must take your chance. How many hunting men, even if 

 they have the skill and the patience, have the time needful to 

 make a young horse ? Hear Dick Christian on the subject : 



When they're taken into the stable, give them plenty of air and 

 walking exercise three or four hours each day ; whatever you do 

 never make them sweat. Give 'em an ounce of sulphur and half 

 an ounce of nitre in their corn twice a week ; for the first month I 

 like new hay better than old, but it must be the very best. Give 

 them plenty of walking exercise up hill, and now and then give 

 them a trot, but not too much of it. You may increase it by degrees ; 

 then walking over ridge and furrow is a grand thing to give them 

 action. Action's the thing ; if they haven't got it, they're like a 

 pump without a handle, blessed if they ain't. The less you gallop 

 hunters the better ; all you want of them is to be in good condition, 

 and fresh on their legs. It's all very well galloping racehorses if 

 you like ; but no horse should go very fast or know their best pace 

 till they're put to the test. There's many a good horse spoiled by 

 them tricks. I says, let me have a horse a bit above himself; he's 

 much pleasanter to ride, and better able to do a right good day's 

 work. Never press a horse very hard going down hill ; it beats 

 them far more than if they go fast up hill. When I wanted them 

 to leap, I always took them to a very low bar, knee high ; hold 

 them there till you get him on to his hind legs, then let him go ; 

 likely as not he'll drop on the bar ; take him to it again and again ; 

 if he turns a bit nervous, wait with him ; when you've got him to 

 go from his hind legs, then start him the same way with water, four 

 feet wide. I was very fond of beginning them with a bit of timber 

 like the body of a tree in a park. They can't get a leg in ; if they 

 force themselves against it they pick over ; they must spread them- 

 selves. When you get him to the fences begin with small places ; 

 first walk him to them ; then trot him ; you'll soon find you may 

 take him at them any pace you like. It's only confidence he wants ; 

 then you may take liberties with him, but do it in good temper, and 

 keep him in the same. He'll soon get confidence for the stitchers. 

 Whatever you do, never go fast at them ; don't go too slow or he'll 

 stop ; and many horses have been spoilt that way ; give him time 

 to get his hind legs under him ; if you're too slow they buck, jump 

 short, and don't spread themselves, and then down you both goes. 

 When you takes a horse at his jumps hold him steady by the head, 

 not pulling him hard j the longer you hold him steady the farther 



