THE FIELD AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS.

BY AN OLD ENGLANDer.

[Continued from page 187.]

Having given it as my humble opinion that the heavy cost incident to hunting is one of the principal causes of the diminution of hounds and sportsmen in the present day, it may, perhaps, be expected that I should offer some suggestions as to how far these expenses may be curtailed. With regard to the first I will say but little, as my present business is more with those who follow hounds than with those who keep them. This much, however, I will remark, that it is in the power of those landed proprietors who undertake to preserve foxes to take a very considerable expense off the hands of the master, and that without in any way increasing their own. In many countries, the sums paid to keepers for the preservation of foxes is out of all proportion; in some hunts, indeed, the price paid for every "find" is one sovereign, by which means it not unfrequently happens that the same fox is paid for several times over. This extravagance naturally renders it one of the heaviest items in the charges; but much of this might be avoided, if the owners of the coverts would make it a "sine quâ non" for their keepers to preserve foxes as strictly as pheasants. Nothing can be further from my wishes than to deprive any who really do their best for the preservation of foxes of their just claims; on the contrary, I should always prefer to see those keepers whose coverts constantly shew sport receive liberal tokens of approbation. No good purpose, however, can ever be answered by the indiscriminate payment for a "find;" on the contrary, it will be an inducement to keepers to "halloo" the hounds in a wrong direction, so as to save the life of the fox, to earn them another gratuity on some future day; in other words, they will treat him as Isaac Walton recommends his disciples to deal with a frog, when, after he has given directions for fastening him on the hook, sewing his leg up to his mouth, &c., &c., finishes by telling them that, having done all this, they are to "treat him as though they loved him, that is, keep him alive as long as they

can."

I shall make no other remarks on the subject of the hounds; but if my experience can dictate anything (and I shall speak from nothing else) which may enable some to enjoy that sport, "for the weak too strong, too expensive for the poor," or if I may be the humble means of drawing forth one latent spark, till it kindles in a full passion for this most noble sport, then shall the full measure of my

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felicity be accomplished. Let not the sensitive reader take alarm, and fancy that I am about to recommend him to cross the country bestride of a perambulatory tea-kettle: the very name of steam is grating to my ears. As on all sides, however, we hear of retrenchment and the hardness of the times, and even at the street corners our eyes are greeted with exhortations to "reform our tailors' bills" (alas, for the poor tailors! I fear their bills frequently meet with radical reform); seriously, why should we not endeavour to introduce economy into the hunting stable? Let not any one imagine that I am about to offer hints calculated for those who keep regular hunting grooms; enough has already been written on that subject by a far more able pen. I only address myself to detrimentals," and other poor men, who have a desire to indulge in the sport of foxhunting; and, in the first place, I must beg of them to discard the idea, that everybody who pursues this diversion must do so at a ruinous expense. No; I will undertake to say that a good horseman and judge of horses may see as much hunting as any provincial country can afford, at a comparatively very trifling cost. This may be effected in two ways: first, by making raw colts into accomplished hunters; secondly, by riding "screws," and other low-priced horses; but possibly the two methods may be beneficially combined. The "screws" will save the young ones, and the colts will be at hand and up to the mark, to realize any tempting price that may offer. Let me, however, at once disclaim all idea of metamorphosing foxhunters into horse-dealers; my only desire is to assist those who, though equally attached to the sport with their more favoured brethren, are troubled with the infirmity of short purses. The reader must not imagine that this is the plan I would recommend indiscriminately, nay, even for general adoption, but merely as a kind of make-shift for limited incomes, and one by which the stable may be made to defray a portion of its own expenses.

With regard to procuring what, in stable language, is commonly denominated a "screw," the purchaser need not trouble himself so much about the known good qualities of the horse, as his general make, so that it is adapted for the services to be required of him; and, above all, he must be particular about the condition of the animal. If he is just out of his pasture, and clogged with grassy flesh, nothing but trouble, annoyance, and expense can be expected; but, on the other hand, though he may be poor, yet, provided he has been living some time on hard meat, and performing tolerably strong work, he may soon be got into a fit state to follow hounds. One mild dose of physic, succeeded, after the interval of a week or ten days, by some alteratives, with a liberal allowance of good old oats, hay, and beans, accompanied with good grooming and regular exercise, will soon perform all that is required. Or, possibly the physic might not be required, although I should, in most instances, doubt the policy of omitting it, if only as a precaution; and, as this horse should not be purchased later than the last week in September, there will be no lack of time. I need scarcely add that, although it is not necessary that a horse, to be a brilliant hunter, should be perfectly sound, yet he must not be wanting in all material points.

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By this means the sportsman may be saved the expense of several months' keep during the summer, and still be possessor of a horse capable, in every respect, of carrying him to hounds by the commencement of the hunting season. But, before proceeding further, may be necessary that I should enter more fully into detail on the subject. I will, therefore, endeavour to lay before the reader, in as concise a form as possible, the probable expenses incident to an establishment consisting generally of two horses during the hunting season, and one for the remainder of the year.

The plan which I should adopt, were I about to form such an establishment, would be to purchase during the spring, or very early in the summer, a promising colt of four, or, what would be better, five years old, which may be met with in most counties for from £75 to £100. If a "weight carrier," it would be so much the more in my favour, as they always command the highest prices; but at any rate, being very particular that he is fully equal to the weight he will be required to carry. If he is not this, there will always be danger of accidents. He will at this time, most probably, be just out of the hands of the breaker, or, if of the latter age, may have seen a little of hounds, and have acquired some little knowledge of his business, such as jumping, &c. From the moment he is bought, to the commencement of the hunting season, too much pains cannot possibly be bestowed upon getting this animal into proper form, and he will be better for steady riding during the interval. Upon him the main hopes of the stable are to depend. By the first of November, if he has been treated properly, he will be quite fit to go to hounds, at least as far as his condition is concerned, and should be taken out regularly; though, if only four years old, he must be ridden with considerable caution. Before proceeding further, it may be better that I should explain what I wish to be understood by riding a colt with caution. I do not mean the mere act of what is inaptly called "shewing him the hounds"-that is, riding him about all day, just within hearing them, for he is rarely allowed to see them after they have begun to draw. This will answer no good purpose, but, on the contrary, will bid fair to do irremediable mischief: it will not only be useless, as far as teaching him anything of his business, but, should he be a colt of high courage, will in all human probability render him exceedingly fretful, if not fractious. No; let him be ridden in the place which he is intended to occupy when arrived at his full strength, and as soon as he shews any symptoms of having had enough, he must be immediately stopped, and taken quietly home. By this means he will at once understand what is required of him; he will enter into the spirit of the thing in as great a degree as his rider; and from being accustomed from the first to take his fences as they present themselves in his line, he will never after think of refusing, which would be too apt to become a habit if ridden in the other manner. With this management in the field, coupled with proper treatment in the stable, I think I may venture to say that, with anything like good luck, 200 sovereigns will not be much above his value towards the end of the season; and in most districts a customer may be found without difficulty. By this time

also, if his owner has had his eye about him, he will in all probability know where to pick up another young one, to supply his place for the ensuing year.

I have already said something on the subject of purchasing a "screw," by which, of course, is meant a horse that has done some work, and very possibly may not be perfectly sound; but here good stable management will show itself, in keeping him on in his work; and in what some of this management consists shall be treated of briefly hereafter. He may, or he may not, have been used to hunting if he has, it will save the trouble of teaching: if he has not, he will soon learn; so no matter on that score; but, as he is not to be purchased till near upon the time when his services will be called for, it is absolutely necessary that he should not be without hard condition. Should he unfortunately be in possession of a long coat, the scissors must be had recourse to, from which a wonderful change will be experienced in an incredibly short space of time. From being poor, he will begin to take on flesh; his eye will become bright and lively, his cold sweats after work will gradually disappear, and, in fact, in the space of a fortnight or three weeks he will become quite a different animal, both in appearance and, what is of more consequence, in real health. I have before recommended physic and alteratives, and in many instances tonics will also be found of the greatest benefit. Let not any one be deterred from clipping for fear of the consequence of cold; with anything approaching to care, and a comfortably warm stable, nothing is to be apprehended from that cause. I had a tolerably convincing proof of this a few years since. I was, one very cold winter's night, getting into a carriage hired for the purpose of conveying myself and some friends to a ball, and upon observing that the horses were both clipped, and standing without rugs, I was induced to remark the circumstance, and asked the man who drove them if he did not consider they would be very likely to take cold? He immediately assured me that he entertained no fears of the kind, as he had always found that those of his horses which were clipped were less subject to the influence of cold, when standing about at night, than those which had been suffered to retain their natural covering. This, I must own, was rather more than I was prepared to hear, knowing, as I did, that these horses were in the habit of standing about most nights, and in all weather, although I had always been very sceptical about the great danger which has been said by some to exist. The only way can account for it is, that they were never chilled by wet coats. But to resume. This horse will have cost from £25 to £35, and, with tolerable luck and good management, will hold that price together, so that there will be no loss by him. No apprehension need be entertained as to whether a horse can jump or not. For my own part, in my love and zeal for the sport, I have repeatedly ridden post and coach horses with hounds, but never yet did I find one that could not get to the right side of his fences. Be assured that every horse can, and there are very, very few that will not jump when properly ridden, and with hounds, though there can be no disputing that some are more au fait" at it than others.

Suffer me to lay particular stress on the necessity for their being ridden with hounds. There is no plan so bad for teaching a horse to jump, whether young or old, as "larking." Let not any one who is in doubt about his nag attempt to take him over anything till he is in the hunting field. The excitement which is always occasioned to horses by the presence of hounds, together with the example of others, will be certain to make him jump well enough, provided he is ridden at his fences in a workman-like and determined manner; for

66 Easy the lesson of the youthful train

When instinct prompts, and when example guides."

We were all taught at school that there is no rule, however absolute, without its exception; consequently, on the same ground, no plan can be laid down which is infallible; therefore, exceptions must occur in this as in all other matters. What I have advanced, however, may serve as a kind of outline for a commencement; and after that, of course, it must depend in a great measure upon the owner and circumstances as to how far it will be to his interests to deviate from it. For instance, should he be fortunate enough to meet with a customer at a good price for the old horse towards the end of the season, he may feel disposed to keep the young one for a second. Besides which, accidents will at times occur which may require the summer's rest to remedy, or indeed plenty of other chances may happen, for which no given rules can be laid down.

There can be no necessity for me to enter into any very detailed account of the expenses incident to the keep of these animals. It is, I believe, generally understood that no horse used for hunting can be kept properly much, if at all, under £50 per annum, including every item. We will, therefore, conclude that the young horse, which must have been an inmate of the stable for hard upon twelve months, will cost that sum. The other, as his time will not have exceeded eight months, will of course be less, say £35, making the total expenses of the stable £85; to which add the original cost of the two, £135, thereby making the total outlay £220. We must next take into consideration the probable value of each towards the end of the season, £200 for one, £35 for the other. This will leave a balance in favour of the stable of £15; but this will be necessary, as accidents must always be happening with horses which are ridden well up to hounds, especially in strongly enclosed or woodland countries; therefore, when they are experienced, the small sinking fund will go some little way towards making up the deficiency. And indeed, after all, it must be admitted that there is a vast deal of luck in selling hunters. How often does it happen that one person will sell a horse for three times his apparent, nay even his actual value, merely because he has the good fortune to attract the attention of some sportsman of large fortune, who does not stick at fancy prices; while, at the same time, another may be unable to obtain above half the value of his, for want of opportunities of shewing what his real powers are, or because he happens to be in a district where no money men hunt?