THE FIELD. 
JOHN SCOTT’S TRAINING STABLES AT MALTON. 
from limilius and Marla, his pedigree is unexceptionable. 
Besides the stud of half-bred mares, are the dams of 
Orestes, Hungerford, and others, also a mare by Alpheus, 
and their produce. The kennel contains twenty-eight 
couples and a-half of hounds, particularly handsome, all of 
which were bred at Mentmoro. Dairymaid, Patience, 
Feudal, Prodigal, Playful, Darling, and Trouncer particu- 
larly attracted my notice ; and fastidious must be ho who 
can find fault with their appearance on the flags. Dairy- 
maid Is of the Mentmore blood both on the side of the sire 
nnd dam ; most of the others have a strain from the Bol- 
voir kennels. The entry descended from Earl Fitzwilliam’s 
Bluecap and Primrose, two years old, is particularly clever. 
They aro very level in appearance, both as regards condition 
and size — rather undor than over twenty-three inches. 
They show the highost breeding possible, and have evidently 
been drafted down by an eye thoroughly conversant with 
those qualifications which are essential to speed and stout- 
ness. It is no miracle that they often have “ clipping runs,” 
as there is the material to afford them. The huntsman, 
Tom Ball, is a nice light weight, and, us I am informed, a 
first-rate performer over a country, which accomplishment 
is amply provided for in the way of horseflesh. He wus 
first ontored to foxhounds in the Oakley country, by the 
Honourable Grantley Berkeley, and has been many years 
with Baron Rothschild. Boxall, a son of William Boxall, 
whom I remember as huntsman to the Warwickshire, after- 
wards to Mr. Dolin6 Radcliffe, in Hertfordshire, and also 
to Mr. Symonds, in Herefordshire, whips-in. Inheriting 
his father’s riding qualifications, he renders essentiul ser- 
vice in saving the deer — one of the most important duties 
of a whipper-in to staghounds.” — Cecil's Hunting Tour. 
Lord Broughton has presented the little pack of Harriers 
with which he used to hunt the neighbourhood of Erlo 
Stoke, to Mr. Herbert Ingram, of Codford, who being sup- 
ported by a tolerably handsome subscription, intends for 
future seasons to advertise two days in the week ; and as the 
country to which he has access is of considerable extent, and 
many portions already celebrated for the strength and speed 
of the hares, little doubt is entertained tlmt they will be a con- 
siderable attraction in South Wilts, and offor an agreeable 
occasional change to the fox-hunting in the vale below. 
Hunting Facts. — “It is a notorious fact, that some o 
the fastest things on record (fox-hounds, and horses going 
on the top of the ground) havo been run under a hot sun 
and a drying wind. I remember 6ome years ago, just as 
Mr. Payne was giving up his mastership of the Pytchley 
hounds, seeing two of tho quickest things imaginable on a 
perfect summer’s day ; the one twenty minutes, the other 
seventeen minutes— -in both cases racing for one fox from 
first to last, and running into both of them in tho open. In 
confirmation of this view of the case, both Lord Southamp- 
ton aud Lord Hopetoun havo been having somo very good 
runs, especially the former, during the last month ; and 
both packs have been doing much execution among the var- 
mint : very fortunately too, if one is to believe a third of the 
humbug, or pay a third of the bills sent iu to masters of 
hounds, for mischief iu tho poultry-yard. Foxes don’t play 
a rubber of five-guinea points every night, that they should 
feed exclusively on cold chicken or poultry. Chicken- 
hazard, you say, is more in their line, Farmer Fallowfleld. 
Well, that does not require such a cerebral organisation for 
the calculation of its odds as to warrant this consumption 
in tho hen-roost. Fowl play, you call it. So there is, not 
always on the part of the fox, Mr. Slowberry. Why, I 
remember the time when a gentleman, not a hundred miles 
from Winwick, used to send his elderly heus down to the 
cover as fast as he could find an excuse lor gotting rid of 
them.” — Ibid. 
HINTS ON DRIVING, FOR BEGINNERS. 
There is a right and a wrong way of doing most things, 
driving especially, and nothiug is done well, or gracefully, 
that is not done easily. 
It will be my endeavour to express my ideas on the art 
of coachmanship in a way that, I trust, may be easily 
understood, as it is for the benefit of novices that I make 
the attempt. I find driving a great deal more difficult to 
explain on paper, than it would be to teach personally ; 
and I often see men with reins in their hands (I cannot 
call it driving) who fancy themselves “good whips," as 
they are pleased to term it, but really know very little 
about it. Driving is undoubtedly a science, though not 
bought to be such by young men generally, all of whom 
think they can drive, especially the London men, 
some of whom can only handle the reins once a-week ; 
Tho reins may be buckled to the throat-strap, for aught he 
knows or observes ; he 6its very forward on the seat, with 
body bent ; be can’t click, but makes a strange noise through 
his teeth, and shakes the reins, or, what is worse, makes use 
of the whip to start the horse. He can pull to the right and 
to the left, but a great deal too hard ; he can go very fast, and 
pull up, but not always the latter. For a pedestrian to 
steer clear of such men is not at all times an eu6y matter, 
as it is difficult to judge which side of the road they intend 
to occupy. This picture is overdrawn if we take the gene- 
rality of beginners, but still there are many such. Driving or 
riding is like a business: you ought to serve an apprentice- 
ship to itif you wish to excel. Before you get behind a horse to 
drive him, you ought to understand his temper — which is not 
easy, unless you see him in his stable, and groomed, or groom 
him yourself (there is nothing derogatory in it, and it will 
give you a good appetite for breakfast). Still there are 
cases in which you would not bo abie to judge, as some 
horses are perfectly quiet in the stable and devils out of it, 
and others quite tho contrary. At all events, in young men 
it is worth the trial, as they may be situated as I have been, 
when a little stable knowledge was highly useful. In har- 
ness, if a horse puts back his ears, or shakes his head, or 
swishes bis tail, or does anything out of the common way, 
you ought to be able to know the cause, and if it can be 
rectified, do it immediately. The bridle may hurt bisear, 
lie may be curbed too tightly, the bearing rein may be too 
tight, the collar may pinch him, the saddle may hurt his 
back, the belly-band may require altering, the crupper, or 
kicking strap, may be buckled too tightly. All these things 
ought to be looked at before starting, and it would very 
often prevent accidents. The knowledge, too, of when a 
horse is harnessed and put properly in the shafts, would be 
well purchased at the expense of a few lessons from a good 
groom. Stable management I shall notenter upon, as abler 
pens have done the work before me, and I cannot refer you 
to better works on the subject than Scrutator’s writings, or 
Mr. William Raper’s, on the management of the horse. 
The few casualties or accidents which I shall mention, 
occurred within my own knowledge ; and I speak of 
them to show how they happened through carelessness 
generally, and how easy it would bo to avoid them. 
I am, however, supposing you to be about to drive a good 
mettled horse. There are somo such old stagers, that if you 
were to fire a gun off close to their ears, they would scarcely 
notice it, and still bo capital horses for harness, and do their 
work almost as well without rein* as with. Mares are not 
to bo trusted ; they may go quietly for a time, and all at 
once take to kicking ; and I have known a horse who had 
never shown the slightest symptoms of vice before, suddenly 
knock down and kill the groom who had constantly at- 
tended him for six years. 
You may invariably tell when a man is a good coachman, 
by the manner in which he effects the start. His eye is 
all over the horse and vehicle in an instant, and he will 
immediately perceive anything that may be out of order. 
As it is important that a man should understand it, I 
should recommend a beginner, if convenient, always to see 
his horse harnessed and put into the shafts, and to notice 
quietly how everything is managed ; so that, in case he has 
him taken out before returning home, he may see that everv 
strap is buckled in the same order in whicli it was when he 
started, unless an alteration be necessary. Harness mostly I 
requires alteration in chauging from one chaise to ano- 
ther, or from one horse to another, which some grooms or 
ostlers will not give themselves the trouble to do unless they 
are desired. The chaise should be as nearly balanced as i 
possihlo, and bearing slightly on the horse's back. Whilst 
the horse is being put in, you cannot be too quiet ; do not 
touch the whip, or if it be in your hand at the time, do not 
I flick it. Many a horse has started off at the noise of a whip, 
J when only half buckled to the chaise. Even should uo | 
mischief he done, you will be sure to put the groom out of 
temper. A horse is one of the most nervous animals that 
exists, and should always be treated as 6uch, and you may 
certainly do more with him by kindness than by severity. 
Should you be taking any luggage with you, it is best to 
pack it away in the vehicle before tho horse is put to, and 
if that is not convenient, it should be placed in with as little 
noise as possible, with some one all the time at the horse’s 
head. Horses are like human beings as regards disposition— 
you will scarcely find two alike ; but it is as well to be on the 
safe side — and, by using the above measures, you will be so. 
When you are quite ready for a start, and two are going 
in a dog-cart, or two-wheeled chaise, the driver should 
always get in first, with the reins in his hand, and be seated 
before his companion puts his foot on the step. Never 
attempt to get up two at the same time, as, in so doing, the 
shafts are likely to be broken. When you take a lady with 
you, and, for the time forgetting the old saying of “ When a 
lady’s in the case, all other things give place,” I should 
advise the same rule to be observed, although it may appear 
to be somewhat impolite to seat yourself and allow a lady 
to climb up unaided ; but better that, than risk the chance of 
her being run away with, alone in the chaise, without reins. 
Such events have happened. I do not like leaving a lady in 
a chaise with the reins, as they lose their presence of 
mind on the least occasion. For instance, I once saw a lady 
placed in that situation — the horse merely backed a little ; 
the lady, instead of loosing the reins, pulled them, and the 
more the horse backed, the harder she pulled and screamed, 
and before any one could help her, she was into a ditch. 
Hud it been a precipice, she must have gone over. In 
taking your seat in tho chaise, place yourself in a com- 
fortable position. Driving does not consist in sitting 
very erect, with your hat cocked on one side and your 
elbows flying away at right angles; it certainly looks 
fast and conspicuous, but not at all the thing. Take the 
reins in the right hand, and got into the chaise on the 
driving side, and, when seated, change'the rein9 into the left 
hand with the first and second finger between them, keeping 
the near or left rein uppermost, and with your right hand 
adjust your wrappings, except buttoning the apron (when 
used) until well on the road. A horse may hack instead of 
moving forward, and place you in danger, when you would 
have to get out in a hurry; some horses will do this from 
bad temper — what is termed jibbing — but, when once off, 
will accomplish the remainder of the journey very well. 
Others will do it from having tender shoulders, and being 
afraid of facing the collar ; but in both cases you must use 
coaxing. Pull thenalittle to the right or left — not too much, 
or they will come round — and let the groom push at the 
shaft, on the opposite side to that which you wish to move 
on. It is not well to lead them in 9uch cases, and never 
use the whip, or probably your chaise will be minus shafts 
in a shorter space of time than you might calculate upon. 
All these proceedings should be gone through in au easy 
and quiet manner. 
STARTING. 
There are really very few pleasure drivers who know the 
proper way to start; they think all that is to be done is to 
hurry into the chaise, sometimes having the reins given to 
them when in — click or whip the horse, and away they go. 
When quite ready for a start, with the reins in your left 
hand as before mentioned, you should take hold of the reins 
with your right hand behind your left, and slip the latter up 
and draw them in gently until you havo them both in driving 
order, or, properly speaking, until you feel both sides of the 
horse’s mouth. Your left hand should bo kept rather low— 
about level with the splash-board, and a foot from your body, 
and your wrist slightly inclined inwards, so that your hand 
may act instinctively with the horse’s mouth ; otherwise, in 
keeping a straight and stiff arm, should the horse, in 
going, toss his head, which is frequently the case, it would 
act as a jerk to his mouth. 
This done, and the groom still at the horse’s head, you may 
say “ Let go,” or “ AU right ;” and, supposing you to he on 
the right side of the road, pull gently the left rein and click 
at the same tim*, «o as to put the right wheel in motion 
before the left. This should always bo the practice, for two 
good reasons — first, because youget half the weightin motion, 
and it is easier to yourself and horse ; secondly, because you get 
the horse to face his collar without his being aware of your in- 
tentions ; this done, you may go or turn him which way you 
like. The whip should be held of course always in the right 
hand, and pointing over the left corner of the splash-board, 
so as not to touch the horse and fidget him, aud should never 
be used except when necessary. By striking a horse without 
giving him any other intimation of your wishing him to go 
on (should he be at all high-spirited), you make him do 
so with a bounce, and most likely break any part of the har- 
ness that may be weak. The whip has been (and I fear 
will be) the cause of many accidents by being injudiciously 
used. Some men, through their carelessness or stupidity 
(most likely tho latter), do something excessively clumsy, 
