IRISH HUNTERS 



agriculture denies space for the unrestrained 

 vagaries of these early lessons, a judicious system 

 is adopted that substitutes artificial education for 

 that of nature. "It is wonderful we don't ofet 

 more falls," said one of the boldest and best of 

 lady riders, who during many seasons followed 

 the pilotage of Jem Mason, and but for failing 

 eyesight, could sometimes have gone before 

 him, "when we consider that we all ride half- 

 broken horses," and, no doubt, on our side of the 

 Channel, the observation contained a great deal 

 of truth. But in this respect our neighbours 

 show more wisdom. They seldom bring a pupil 

 into the hunting-field till the elementary discipline 

 has been gone through that teaches him when he 

 comes to his fence what to do with it. He may 

 be three, he may be four. I have seen a sports- 

 man in Kilkenny so unassumingly equipped that 

 instead of boots he wore wisps of straw called, I 

 believe, sooghauns, go in front for a quarter of an 

 hour on a two-year-old ! Whatever his age, the 

 colt shows himself an experienced hunter when 

 it is necessary to leap. Not yet mouthed, with 

 unformed paces and wandering action, he may 

 seem the merest baby on the road or across a 

 field, but no veteran can be wiser or steadier 

 when he comes within distance of it, or, as his 

 owner would say, when he "challenges " his leap, 

 and this enthusiast hardly overstates the truth 



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