HIRELINGS. 303 



hinds. If they are cut later, they get one set of horns, which 

 are never shed, and which always remain in velvet. The term 

 ' havier ' or ' heaver ' appears to be derived from the Scotch 

 and North Country word 'aver' (French avoir), which origin- 

 ally meant 'property' and now signifies 'work-horse.' Pos- 

 sibly it came in that way to mean ' gelding.' 



" Harriers generally begin hunting as soon as the country is 

 rideable, and leave off about the middle or towards the end of 

 March. Some packs wind up with stag." 



GETTING A STABLE TOGETHER. 



The first question here is : to buy or to hire ? For conve- 

 nience, there is nothing like hiring, which, as a rule, can be 

 done in the Shires at about ;^20 a month each horse ; the 

 owner having to take all fair risks of disease and accident. A 

 heavy weight who wants to go straight, would of course have 

 to pay more, say £2^ a month. The hirer has to pay the 

 stable bills, which may be put at 25 shillings a horse; supposing 

 that one man looks after three horses, which is quite as much 

 as he can do properly. The expense of a stud groom and 

 second horseman will of course be extra. The rate of hiring 

 is much lower in many provincial districts, and so is the quality 

 of the animals. It is as a rule best to hire from a dealer who 

 has a large choice of animals, so that if any particular hireling 

 does not suit or goes wrong, the customer can get him 

 changed. Even when a hireling is fit to hunt, which is not 

 always the case, he generally has a store of unpleasant 

 surprises which he has learnt from previous riders. Con- 

 sidering the rarity of good horsemen, and the ease with 

 which an animal's mouth and temper can be spoiled by a 

 bad rider, we may safely conclude that a thoroughly con- 

 fidential hireling is very seldom found, and that, when he 

 is encountered, he usually leaves public for private service. 



