204 In Scarlet and Silk 



Alfriston trainer much in his own line of 

 business, as we know. But if an animal 

 jumps much bigger than he need when 

 racing, it is perfectly clear that he will beat 

 himself. As a rule, however, a horse, be he 

 hunter or 'chaser, measures his fence very 

 accurately, and whilst taking care not to hit 

 the top too hard for safety, rarely wastes 

 his strength by overjumping an obstacle. 

 Indeed, the close shave some of them will 

 make is calculated to cause the rider to " sit 

 up " a bit on occasions. 



One thing that has always been a puzzle 

 to me, is that many a horse which is by no 

 means either a good or a safe hunter acquits 

 himself very much better when running over 

 a Point to Point steeplechase course than he 

 does in following hounds. The fences are, 

 as a general rule, larger, and the pace more 

 severe, and yet I have seen over and over 

 again the indifferent hunter running under 

 these conditions take his revenge on, and 

 fence better than, the horse which has invari- 

 al)ly proved liis superior as a " fox-catcher." 



