Dick Christian again. 41 



wouldn't let him. Now and then he tries quietly to 

 get him up to the gate, and about tea time he does it. 

 He then rode him through, making much of him ; he 

 was such a patient clever man ; he'd have sat on him 

 for a week, and had his victuals and his umbrella sent 

 him, rather than be beat. That evening he rode him 

 to Kettleby, Grimstone, Asfordby, and so home, and 

 opened all the gates on the road. He gave him no 

 trouble no more ; you see as time and good manage- 

 ment brings all things to pass. 



You want a touch at hunter training^. „ . ^^ • . 



tTTi 1 . 1 • 1 11 • Hunter Training. 



When they re taken mto the stable, give 

 'em plenty of air and walking exercise three or four 

 hours each day ; whatever you do, never make them 

 sweat. Give 'em an ounce of sulphur and half-an-ounce 

 of nitre in their corn twice a week ; for the first month 

 I like new hay better than old, but it must be the 

 very best. Give them plenty of walking exercise 

 up hill, and now and then give them a trot, but not 

 too much of it. You may increase it by degrees ; 

 then walking over ridge and furrow is a grand thing 

 to give them action. Action's the thing ! if they 

 haven't got it, they're like a pump without a handle, 

 blessed if they ain't. The less you gallop hunters 

 the better ; all you want of them is to be in good 

 condition, and fresh on their legs. It's all very well 

 galloping race-horses if you like ; but no horses should 

 go very fast or know their best pace, till they're put to 

 the test. There's many a good horse spoilt by them 

 tricks, I says, let me have a horse a bit above him- 

 self ; he's much pleasanter to ride, and better able to 

 do a right good day's work. Never press a horse very 

 hard going down hill ; it beats them far more than if 

 they go fast up hill. Becher did it to Vivian in that 

 great five hundred guinea match with the Marquis on 

 The Sea ; he quite overset his horse ; and he'd have 

 lost if the Marquis hadn't gone wide. I never see 

 Becher wrong but that time. 



