SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING 175 



which go bounding along in their course, and might 

 be expected to go at obstacles in the same manner, 

 yet, having watched them often, we have invariably 

 noticed that, unless very closely pursued, they would 

 break into a trot, and sometimes clear high leaps 

 standing. Taking a lesson from them, we invari- 

 ably draw the rein when approaching any fence, and 

 to this caution we attribute our encountering so very 

 few serious accidents during a long hunting career. 

 Some of your raspers and thrusters may think this 

 a slow mode of doing business, and that hounds 

 would run us out of sight and hearing from losing 

 so much time. Experience led us to pursue this 

 plan, as enabling us to see more of a run than 

 those who adopted the contrary one ; and in our 

 younger days we were quite as fond of jumping as 

 hunting. When, however, we took to the horn, our 

 whole attention was given to the hounds, regarding 

 fences only as so many impediments in our way, 

 irrespective of which, we made the discovery that 

 strong fences stopped hounds as much as horses, and 

 that we could easily keep our place with them if 

 well placed at starting. Hounds cannot beat a 

 well-bred horse, with a workman on his back, 

 through enclosures, although they may and will 

 run away from them over open downs with a good 

 scent. Irish horses, from their particular educa- 

 tion, having been accustomed when young to follow 

 their breaker over fences with a long rein, which 

 enables them to disport themselves as most conve- 

 nient, are generally found to be the best standing 

 leapers ; and we remember a little event between 



