174 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



mole-hills, on a horse having very rickety fore-legs, 

 and whilst so doing, what think you was his occu- 

 pation? Tying a lash to his whip, and the open blade 

 of his pocket-knife between his teeth. The man who 

 could perform such a feat as this, we may naturally 

 conclude would stick at nothing. Just the sort of 

 fellow to lead a forlorn hope or dash up to the 

 cannon's mouth. Experienced foxhunters are agreed 

 that there is no surer proof of courage than riding 

 quick down hill, although, in our opinion, this act 

 want of judgment and really good horse- 

 manship, for what says the old triplet? 



Tp the hill spare me, 



J>mvii tin 1 hill hear me, 

 On the ila me. 



There is often a deal of truth in these wise old 



saws, and in these three linos are condensed the best 



rules for riding to hounds. The forcing your horse 



ii id is the surest method of stop- 



r, if in the least, distressed, and 



hurrying him down the descent most likely to 



event, ua.tr in a most calamitous cropper. The next 



dangerous tall generally comes from going too 



at timber a -Teat mistake or riding at a 



swinging gate, which we have seen men do to 



show tln-ir contempt of danger. Some horses have 



rather a fancy for ^atc-jumping ; I >ut they require 



left to their own discretion how to take 



them, which they will do by shortening sail and 



rini;- th'-msclves together for the spring. In 



fact, all animals of the jumping order slacken their 



pace before taking their leap deer particularly, 



