Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-28
BEHIND THE HOUNDS
HUNTING IMPROVES A MANS HEALTH
AND HORSEMANSHlP.
Points from n Veteran Hunter which VIII
BE Valuable TO Both Male and
Female Riders.
written for the Dispatch.)

written for the Dispatch)
The sailor who rides on the ocean.
Delights when the stormy winds blow;
Wind and steam, what are they TO horse
| motion?
Sea cheers, to land Tally-ho?
The canvas the screw. and the paddle,
The stride of the thoroughbred hack,
When fastened like glue to the saddle.
We gallop astern OF the pack.
-Tarporley Hunt-Song.
As the distinguished master of hounds
in that delightful bood "Handley Cross"
remarks:
"Unting Is the sport OF kings. The
very himage Of war without its guilt. and
only five and forty per cent. OF its dam
ger"
Every man who can ride, or is under
the pleasing delusion that he can ride,
and who, living within n reasonable
distance OF pack of hounds fox or
drag. can spare an hour or two, one or
two days a week, should hunt. 1t will
| improve his health and horsemanship.
enlarge his circle OF acquaintance, as
| also his tastes and sympathies.
| In saying this / do not mean for an
| instant that every man, woman, or chlld
| should attempt to follow the hounds In
| the first flight, because a great deal de-
| ponds on the previous knowledge ana
practice the would-be follower has had.
| / am quite aware that most men in this
| country cannot afford the time necessary
| TO allow them TO hunt regularly, nor can
| they afford the money requisite to buy
| themselves horse fit to cary them
| safely across country.
| There are some, / know. who say that
| they have both time and money; but
still they do not distinguish themselves
in the field. but are a positive source OF
danger to their companions.
A HARD TASK.
The same distinguished NJ +. II. quoted
before remarked when inspired that
| there amt no man living what wouldn't
| rather have a himputation on his morals
| than on his ossmanship." You may.
| therefore, think of my difficulty In at
| tempting to convey advice or suggestions
| OH this subject TO the members or follow
| ers of any hunt Almost every man who
trusts himself outside a horse imagines
himself quite capable of going across
country. and although when jumping
most of his time is taken up in getting
| back into his saddle he fancies he is
hrst-class performer. SO he Is as an aero
Dat, Dnt not as IL rlutT W HoulihS' many
men, / know, think that If they make
good time on the roads and get ahead Of
the hounds they are doing all that the
most fastidIous could desire.
This Is all a mistake Men or women
who profess to hunt. or / Will say fol-
low the hounds. should try to keep with
the hounds or as near as they conve-
niently can without overriding them
There is little sense in knocking their
l.
If such amusement Is required 1t would
be better TO run a drag round race
track and keep on going.
However, presuming that the majority
of riders TO hounds prefer crossing the
country. the first thing required to en-
able them to do so with satisfaction 10
themselves and safety to their friends
is the possession Of good hands and a
firm seat.
CONSTANT PRACTICE.
go far as know. nothing will give a
rider good hands but constant practice
and a little instruction from some one
who can teach him TO hold his reins with
out worrying his horse.
HOW TO JUMP.
To enable a rider to take a fence prop
erly, he should take his rens in each
hand and hold them not too near to-
gether. As his horse rises for his jump |
he should drop his hands near the withers |
so as to enable the horse to extend him |
self AS he descends the rider should /
somewhat extend his arms and he will |
have his horse fully in hand. A made !
hunter seldom requires this attention, and /
the less he is interfered with the better 1
It will be for all concerned. Noyfces |
almost always err by being too rash, |
and by going too fast at their fences. /
Instead of watching better and more ex- |
perienced riders 10 see how they go at |
their fences. they almost invariably try |
to hide their nervousness by going full /
speed at everything. 1t often happens
that, at the last moment, funk or discre-
ton gets the better Of their valor, and |
they pull round right in front OF some
more discreet member OF the hunt, who
either has TO pull UP or there Is a crash |
and a necessity for an ambulance with a
coffin or crutches TO follow. / have no.
ticed a tendency amongst the best riders
to so too fast at timber. This fault
should be corrected. No one should
go fast at timber. unless there is
a ditch on one or both sides. and then
II the rider expects a fall he should go
fast enough to prevent his horse falling
on him.
Another bad habit noticeable amongst
followers of hounds Is the fiock-of- sheep
way in which they follow each other
over gaps and bitches. This Is most dis
tinctly dangerous in case OF any horse or
rider falling. i have a most lively re-
membrane of a horse jumping into the
small Of my back and killing my mount.
USEFUL HINTS.
now give a few hints which may be
useful to novices, mentioning at the same
time that no "himputations" are in
tended.
4. &c .At Cd M httpt t,,rx I
you can sit your horse over any moderate
jump without displaying too much day
light.
The hunting-field Is not the place for
practjcing the first rudiments OF the art
of riding.
It is far better to learn to ride over
reli fences than over a leaping-bar
IL you can afford to buy made hunter
do So as 1t Is most advisable that either
the horse or his rider should know some
thing Of the business.
IT is not advisable for a novice to eide
puller. or a horse that rushes. in COM
pany Of decent people. as he endangers
them as well as himself. The latter may
not matter, but the former Will.
Tent try TO show in front OF the field.
unless you feel you can keep there
Novices who try this game generally
land In a ditch.
Never take a jump when you can 20
through an open gate.
Always go slowly at your jumps. ex-
cept at water, or wide dtches and never
pull at the curb when your horse is
rising.
Don't wear spurs until you know when
to use them.
Don't lose your temper. and never
strike your horse with the whip when
going up to fence. unless you want
him to swerve.
II Is a mistake for those young ladies'
and gentlemen who daily practice their
horses over a bar near the boulevard %
do 30, This will never teach them or
their horses to take a natural fence I'm
~sxrlA /