HUNTS AND THEIR HISTORY 151 



I could find two of these within half a mile of the place 

 where these lines are being written which would tax 

 a horse good at timber, and they are the only possible 

 way from one field to another. 



You will say it is not easy to buy such a horse. 

 True ; but the nearer you can obtain him to this 

 standard the more fun you will have, and in Mr. 

 Fernie's country there is no doubt that you would 

 be better off with two such horses than with four 

 inferior ones. When Nimrod wanted to tell of a 

 typical ride over Leicestershire, he chose the line 

 from Norton Gorse to Tilton Wood, as those may read 

 who will in the thrilling story of the death of Edwin 

 in the " Hunting Reminiscences." 



Nor would any account of the country be complete 

 without writing of its brooks, though they are to be 

 forded and are well supplied with bridges. The 

 Norton brook and Stonton brook are perhaps quite 

 as often jumped on paper as in real life. This is as 

 well, for they are ragged in their banks and generally 

 awkward places, though they can be avoided without 

 undue shirking. Nevertheless they do come in the 

 line, and only in this last season six of the field flew 

 Norton brook, led by the Master and the huntsman. 

 Now if a friend were to ask me what was the best 

 class of horse for High Leicestershire, I should advise 

 him to try to keep in his mind the hunt horses, for they 

 are not only apt to go, but they are true in type and 

 make to the best class of grass country hunter. There 

 are perhaps thirty of them in the stables at Medbourne, 

 and there are few men who have not wished that 

 they could be one of Mr. Fernie's hunt servants for 

 the day. 



Though a small country, Mr. Fernie's is rather 

 notable for the number of huntsmen it has trained. 



