Cross country with horse and hound

Preface

" Perhaps, after all, it 's a gain in the end To be tied to the subject you love."

STRANGE as it may seem, there never has been a book published in America on the subject of cross-country riding to hounds. Let this be the author's apology — if any is required — for presenting this work.

Having moved into a hunting country without previous knowledge of the sport, the author undertook to follow the hounds after witnessing a run from a friend's carriage, and, needless to say, made about as many mistakes as it was possible for a "green un" to accomplish. It was greatly to his mortification and chagrin to discover how much of a sinner he had been against the unwritten laws of the hunting-field — so much so that years later he determined, if an opportunity should present itself, to place in the hands of similar uninitiated ones something in the nature of a guide. Curiously enough, the rules are misunderstood even by a large number of those who follow the hounds. Especially is this true of the men who simply " hunt to ride." Although a gallop across country is a most invigorating pastime, the most interesting and lasting enjoyment, the real sport, comes from a more thorough knowledge viii Preface

of the hunt, of the workings of the hounds, the plots laid by the artful Reynard to fool them, and the counter-plots of the clever huntsman. The men who follow hunting year in and year out, through fair weather and foul, through youth, manhood, and age, are invariably the men who possess this knowledge, and who, instead of simply hunting to ride, are classed with the men who ride to hunt. This work is therefore intended to give the novice an insight into the game from the point of view both of hunting and of riding, so that he may obtain from the sport a full measure of the delights it has to offer.

The author makes no attempt to set up a code for officers of the hunt. He states the conditions and moves of the game from a member's and not from an official's standpoint. He has never occupied any position in the hunt except that of a modest riding member who dearly loved the sport, especially the hunting part of it. His ambition has been to keep in sight of the hounds, and he is quite contented to let the racing men and jealous riders share all the honours they can extract from the satisfaction of being called "first flight men." A more important claim is that he has had considerable experience in breeding, rearing, and schooling hunters that have been for the most part a credit to the system adopted in their training, and has been fortunate in bringing to this work quite extensive observations of many diffisrent packs of hounds in European countries, as well as in the United States and Canada. His chief aim is to encourage this most noble sport for sport's sake, to contrast the genuine sportsman with the artificial, and to pay to that noblest of animals, the horse.

Preface ix

and especially the "hunter," a debt of gratitude for many a glorious hour in his company.

The author is indebted to the artist Mr. J. Crawford Wood for the very lifelike illustrations accompanying these pages. Mr. Wood is one of the keenest hunting men in the famous grass countries of England. He hunts five days a week throughout the season, with such noted packs as the Pytchley, Grafton, and North Warwickshire hounds. Thanks are due also to Mr. Phillpotts Williams, master and huntsman of the Melton harriers, near Salisbury, England, for kind permission to select from his "Rhymes in Red" and his "Poems in Pink" the verses which precede the several chapters of this work. They are so full of the spirit and the true gospel of hunting that they must be heartily welcomed. No author up to the present day has been more generally quoted on all questions concerning the science and art of fox-hunting. No less is the indebtedness to the immortal Somerville, of whose lines the author has made liberal use, although they were written in 1735 and have long been out of print. The odour of the woods and the spirit of the chase live in them still, with the vigour of youth, the colour of autumn, and the freshness of spring.

In a work of this nature it has been found impossible to avoid considerable repetition of thought. Besides, the book has been a long time in pickle. Chapters or portions of chapters have been added at long intervals, and the whole has been compiled during " overtime " from other business — on steam-cars, or at uncomfortable hotels, or on steamships pitched about by winter seas. If it is well received

X Preface

it will be in spite of its style. The reins, the gun, and the tiller are probably better suited to the writer's hands than the pen. His chief hope is that the reader may have some of the pleasure in reading the book that the author had in writing it. He is well aware that many of his views are not altogether orthodox, but he has attempted to be honest with himself and present his own ideas and views regardless of some well-grounded notions current among hunting men. We are all apt to get into a rut in our ways of thinking. It may be preferable to have a rut of our own rather than follow a blind ditch simply because the crowd seems to be going that way. The writer is also aware that he now rejects many theories that a few years ago were considered true gospel, which leads him to suspect that a few years hence he may repudiate some things that he now asserts with much assurance. He will consider his reward very ample if in the hour of ultimate success the novice reader has a kindly thought for " Cross Country with Horse and Hound."

The Elms

Cornell Heights

Ithaca, N. Y.

Contents

PAGE

I True Sport and Sportsmanship i

The word sportsman defined — English and American sportsmen compared — American school and college sports

II Hunting Terms

" Taught to speak The proper dialect, with horn and voice To cheer the busy hound."

II

HUNTING TERMS

A learner's programme TERMS ANCIENT AND MODERN

S there are many terms used in hunting that are as Greek to the uninitiated, it may not be out of place to devote a few pages to the explanation of them before we proceed further. We shall then feel that our decks have been cleared for action, that our house is in order ; or, as my hunting friends might prefer to say, " We are all ready with an early start to follow the line " ; we propose to hunt in the following pages.

First, however, let us find a comfortable seat, and spend the evening talking horse and hound and hunting in general. To-morrow morning we will visit the kennels, and then call on "old Simpson," the earth-stopper, and get him to tell us what he knows about foxes. After that we will take a horseback ride, and jump a few fences for practice. In the afternoon we can drive out to see our first fox chase from a carriage. In the evening we will pay our respects to the master and huntsman, and the next morning go early to the " meet," and then *' hack to covert." We shall have a sure " find," and no doubt we

•3 shall have a " kill," in which case I hope the reader will be in at the " death," and be rewarded with the " brush," the "mask," or at least a "pad," and be "blooded to hounds " " in due and ancient form." I warn him against cutting corners or being seen at too much road or lane riding. This is a demoralising practice, bad for both horse and rider. Take my advice and stay with the hounds. There was never a run but taught the man of observation something to his advantage. Even a " blank day to hounds " is better than no day at all. Now, then, let us on with it.

Most of these terms are as given by Thomas Smith, Esq., of England in his charming book " Extracts from the Diary of a Huntsman." The volume was published in 1838, and has long since been out of print. The greater part of his expressions are still in general use all over England and America, with slight modifications and a few corruptions. It is with great pleasure that the author adds to the present work a valuable chapter for those who wish to use and preserve the time-honoured vocabulary of the chase.

Cover hoick — throwing hounds into cover. Eloo-in — into covert.

Yoi-over — over fence. *Edawick, Edawick, Edawick — to make hounds draw in cover.

Yoi wind him — encourage hounds to draw.

* Language or sayings marked * have been supplied by the author as additional to the list given by Mr. Smith.

Hunting Terms 15

Yoi rouse him, my boy, or. Rouse him, my beauties — encourage hounds to draw.

Hackles — when the hair on a hound's back stands upright, his hackles are up.

Hoick Rector — cheer to Rector or whichever hound first challenges. (For modern " Hark to Rector."]

Hoick together — when hounds are scattered, to get them together.

Tally-O, or, Tally-O away — when a fox is viewed away.

Tally-O back — when tox has returned to covert.

Yo-hote, Yo-hote — when " check" to make hounds hunt.

Eloo at him, or, Tally-O at him — when hounds near the fox.

Ware — huntsman's or whipper-in's cry to a hound that is running or doing wrong. " Ware rabbit," " Ware riot," etc. *Hi ! Hi ! Hi ! — cheer to hounds when overtaking their

fox. (Fox in view of riders.) *Babbler — a noisy hound, giving tongue too freely. *Blank — empty. Covert is drawn blank; i.e., nothing found.

Billet — excrement of the fox.

Burst — of speed. (First dash of speed.)

Burst him — when fox is killed. (Cheer to hounds.) *Break him — when fox is thrown to hounds.

Burning scent — good.

Breast-high — when scent is so good hounds can carry their heads up.

Carry a good head — good scent and wide enough for the whole pack.

*Cast — the spreading of hounds when in search of the

line. *Challenge — first hound to give tongue. Counter — when hounds are running opposite to the way

the fox is travelHng.

Check — hounds stopped.

Chopped a fox — said when fox is killed in covert. *Cropper — fall from a horse.

Crash, a good crash — when hounds are running in covert

and every one is throwing tongue.

Cub — young fox.

Cold hunting — when hounds can hardly "feel scent." Cover or covert — a wood or any place likely to conceal a fox. *Crop — hunting-whip.

Down wind — with the wind.

Up wind — against the wind. *Double — said when a fox runs short back on the line. Drawing — when hounds are working over a covert. Drag — scent left by the footsteps of a fox on his way to

kennel that morning.

Dwelling — feeling a stale scent.

Drafted — called out.

Earths are drawn — when vixen fox has drawn fresh

earth; — proof she intends to lay her cub there. Flighty — used of a hound that is not steady. Feeling a scent — said when hounds can hardly distinguish a scent. *Feather — when hound is waving his "stern" (tail) he is said to be " feathering."

Hunting Terms 17

Foil — used when a fox runs the ground over which he

has been hunted before.

Full cry — when whole pack " throw tongue." Gone to ground — said of a fox when he goes to earth. Handles a pack — used of a huntsman's management of

his pack.

Heel — when hounds run a trail backward. (Running heel.) Hitting it off — finding the line after a check. Hold hard — warning to a rider to stop or go slower. Holding scent — when hounds can follow, but not fast. *Jumping-powder — stimulant taken from a flask. *Kennel — where a fox sleeps above-ground ; his bed ;

where he was kenneled.

Lifting — when hounds are unable to find and the huntsman takes them on to where he thinks the line is. *Line hunter — a very methodical and painstaking hound.

Main earths — large breeding burrows or earths. *Mask — head of a fox.

Mobbing a fox — taking him at a disadvantage. Mute — hounds run mute when at great speed. (Not

giving tongue.) Opens to the scent, or, Owning a scent — said of hound

when he " throws tongue."

Pad — foot of fox.

Riot — when hounds run hare or rabbit. (Compare

"Ware riot.") *Skirter — hound that runs wide of the pack.

Sinking — said when fox shows signs of being overtaken. *Stern — tail of a hound.

Stained — Ground passed over by sheep, etc.

Streaming — hounds running like flock, of pigeons.

Speaks — when hound owns scent, speaks to it, or gives tongue. *Thong — lash of a hunting-crop.

Thrown up — check.

Ticklish scent — one that varies or is uncertain. *Vixen — female fox.

Ill

" Be to his faults a little blind.

Be to his virtues ever kind."

JOROCKS

Ill

HEAD NECK SHOULDERS BACK LOIN QUARTERS BODY

LEGS DISPOSITION

HUNTING man is apt to have rather fixed notions as to how a hunter should be built. His ideal is generally the likeness of some good, faithful beast that has carried him with the greatest ease and safety; which is only another way of saying that a good hunter, whatever he is like, however he is formed, however he is bred, whatever his colour, if he suits and fits us, is not a bad horse.

The one horse among the multitude that have passed through my hands, by which all horses are compared and come short, was one Brunett, a three-quarter-bred Canadian thoroughbred. In conformation she was a collection of minor faults. She was a little over on her knees, slightly sickle-hocked, rather long in the back, had ragged hips, a large plain head, and the longest ears I have ever seen on anything but a mule; nevertheless she was such an animal as one meets with but once in a lifetime. She had courage, spirit, light-heartedness, a happy disposition, rare intelligence, and the most charming manner in harness.

She was also the most deHghtful hack that ever carried a saddle. There were bolder-going cross-country horses and faster, but none ever enjoyed the game better; and although she was only fifteen and one half hands, and apparently not up to my weight, I never fathomed her staying qualities. I did not know as much about horses then as I do now, or I never should have parted with her. Take my advice: if you ever come across a horse that thoroughly suits you, let neither love nor money take him from you. The chances are one in a thousand you will ever find another.

But what suits one person will not always suit another. The man to whom I sold Brunett sold her back to me two years later without expressing very deep regret. She went to the Azore Islands for a gentleman's hack, and I have been looking for another Brunett ever since.

The pick of the stable, good, honest, and sound, How eager she was at the note of a hound !

Again, the next best horse I ever owned was, without doubt, the homeliest mare that ever graced the Genesee Valley. She came so near to Brunett in disposition and characteristics that I would have her. She is such a homely horse that no one has ever asked the price of her. She is now twenty-two or twenty-three years old, and has for the last fifteen years been one of the family. Yet, old as she is, none can outshine her, either on a short run or in the lead tandem, where, to this day, she is very proud of herself A Kentucky negro, seeing her driven into town one day, described her: "She ain't nothin' to look

High-class grade thoroughbred Bkie Rock — hunter type.

Heavy-weight hunter — ideal Irish type.

at when she 's a-standin', but she 's a sho-nufF cake-walk mare when she am a-goin' ! " Dear old mare ! Every one laughs at her, but we love her just the same.

Pardon my digression ! The above had to come out somewhere in this book, and it may just as well be first as last. Besides, it illustrates my point : " Handsome is that handsome does." I do not mean to say, of course, that only homely and unshapely horses make the best hunters. Neither of the horses I have just mentioned was an ideal except in manners and way of going, which in a hunter or saddle-horse more than in any other are nearly the sum total of excellence. I mean to say, never discard a horse that displeases you only by his looks. Nevertheless there are some points in the conformation of a hunter that can hardly be ignored. Some general rules, mostly with numerous exceptions, it will be well to keep in mind when passing judgment on a horse for cross-country work.

A large brainy head, with broad forehead and mild outstanding eyes, is, as far as my experience goes, one of the points to insist upon. Some horses with a thimbleful of brains are made to hunt, but without sufficient intelligence to go with judgment as well as courage. One who possesses mere valour can never attain more than a moderate degree of proficiency.

Some fools of horses may be driven through a run, but they do not enjoy it; they are simply slaves. Deliver me from keeping company with such an one in the hunting-field ! Hunting is, or should be, a partnership game, in which you and your friend the horse go out for a day's sport. The more intelligent the horse, the more levelheaded, the more capable he is of entering into the spirit of the game, and of enjoying the day's run as well as his master. It must be remembered, however, that, besides size of brain, quality also is to be looked for. There are big basswood-headed horses, and there are small hickory-headed horses. Quantity must not be confounded with quality. Some brainy horses have from past bad management had their nerves shattered, so to speak, and what brains they have are a damage to them. On this point a study of physiognomy is a help.

There are many rattle-headed, nervous, high-strung horses that make good jumpers, but not every good fencer is, by that same token, a good hunter. Almost anything in the shape of a horse can pull a harrow or go in harness, but for cross-country work a horse must possess the very highest qualities and the sum total of all the virtues of the equine race. He should possess courage that stops just short of recklessness, great nervous force with coolness, great energy with judgment, light-heartedness without foolishness, staying qualities of the best, good breeding, perfect manners. These are the qualifications of a high-class cross-country horse. These are also the qualifications of a high-class cross-country rider. If they are to be omitted from either, the horse should not be the one to suffer, for he has to look out for himself and the rider as well. Besides all this, the horse must have suitable conformation for the work, be a good feeder, and sound.

One can hardly hope to find so many qualifications in a single animal, but if a horse that approaches this standard is found, forgive his shortcomings and be consoled with the reflection that if he is not as good as he should be, he might have been worse. Remember this, too, that it is the part of horsemanship to fit the rider to the horse rather than to try to make the horse fit the rider. The greatest and best thing of all is to find in a horse an agreeable companion. A man will get on better with an old farm-horse that fits him than with a two-thousand-dollar qualified hunter that does not.

I have heard some men declare that no horse likes hunting. I am positive this is a mistake. No horse would like hunting with some men, but most horses with the proper conformation for saddle work do enjoy hunting when they are properly ridden. I have seen and schooled many green horses that from weanlings took readily to jumping, and several that when turned into a runway would jump back and forth over the hurdles of their own accord. I have had several green horses that, as soon as mounted, would of their own accord start away to the schooling-ground. Of some of these it has been hard to say whether they enjoyed the sport or not until they met hounds, and then they were as ambitious to get on with them as the rider, and not from excitement or fear, as one could tell by the collected way in which they jumped, but from sheer love of the sport. At a check other horses could come and go, but directly hounds moved they were oflF. I am speaking now of green horses. To some horses hunting is an irksome task that never becomes anything but work or drudgery ; yet I believe that a large number of well-bred horses, providing, mind you, they are not punished at their jumps by severe hands or spurs, really enjoy the sport. It also goes without saying that there must be a great difference between a horse that has his heart in the sport and goes at it like a school-boy from his books, and one that has only a poor gizzard for the work. I have dwelt on this point because it demonstrates what I wish to bring out farther on in the chapter on '* Schooling Hunters."

Horses with short, thick necks do not make good hunters. I do not know of any exception to this rule. They are not easily brought to hand ; they invariably rein badly, and are apt to have hard, unyielding mouths. Avoid also a horse that carries a high head. This is another rule without an exception. The head of a hunter is quite high enough when his eyes are on a line with the height of his withers, as in the picture at page 22. This low carriage of a hunter's head is very important, and for several reasons: ( 1 ) It enables the rider to lean well forward as his mount begins to spring at a jump (see page 96), and still have room for the horse to throw up his head with freedom in the natural act of jumping, without hitting the rider in the face. This point will be noticed more fully later on. (2) High-headed horses must be ridden with a shorter rein than horses with their necks straight. This is an objectionable feature, because, the longer the reins, the better and easier the control. This will be referred to again in the chapters on " Hands" and " Pulling." (3) When a high-headed horse is ridden at a jump, especially if he pulls and his head comes higher than its natural carriage, the animal is in a most awkward position to take his fence. He does so at the expense of an unnecessary amount of exertion, while the rider's control of his mount is gone. (See page 28.) If there is one sight more annoying than another, it is a high-headed horse charging at fences and gazing at the stars. No one likes to put martingales on hunters, and very properly not, for they need absolute freedom of their heads at their jumps.

The position of the horse's head (page 92), when properly held, gives to the hands the greatest length of rein and the best possible control of the mount. Control begins to lessen as the head is raised above this point. That a rather high-headed horse may, by being ridden with a curb-bit properly handled, have his head held in its proper place, there is no doubt. What I wish to point out is simply the most natural and best conformation or carriage of a hunter's head and neck, not the method of driving a high-headed harness type of a horse so that he may carry his head as it should be when he is under saddle. Riders who have had their glasses smashed, their hats knocked off, their teeth loosened, trying to make into a hunter a horse good except that he carried his head too high, will be shy in the future of high-headed horses for hunting. This point will be found illustrated at page 28. While a hunter should be long in the neck, the neck should not be drawn too fine. Horses with very slim necks generally bend them too easily. Nothing is more annoying than a horse that turns only his head in answer to a pull on the reins, while his body goes straight on. One of the worst falls I ever saw in the hunting-field was with just such a horse. Slim Neck wanted to follow the horse in front of him. The rider, seeing that the ground was too soft on the landing side, attempted to pull his horse away ; but the horse, instead of answering to his hand with a turn of his body, brought his head round until it nearly touched his rider's leg. On went the mount, striking the rail fence breast-high, horse, rider, and fence coming down in a crash. The rider was caught by the fence, and pinned to earth between it and his horse — a sickening sight. Fortunately for the rider, the ground was soft. Beside having an awful shaking up, and the flesh of his legs horribly scraped and bruised, he was left unconscious for several hours. The same thing occurred to a friend of mine, whose horse went slam-bang against a barbed-wire fence because his neck was too weak or too limber to answer to the pull of the rider. The poor beast was horribly mangled and nearly ruined for life.

I have dwelt upon this point because it is one seldom, if ever, mentioned by writers, and because we hear so much nowadays about having "plenty of horse in front of you." So there should be; but look well to the substance of a hunter's neck. "There is ain thing aboot a hunter a canna forgie," said a keen hunting friend of mine in Scotland, " and that is a neck with na starch in it ! " The neck can hardly be too long unless too thin; it can hardly be too low unless too short and thick, and of two evils better a horse that bores than a horse that soars. You sometimes see in a dealer's stables these up-headed horses. They are generally clean trotting-bred animals that have had their manes pulled and their tails chopped off, and these are their principal qualifications as hunters. Some of them can jump, and we have seen this sort win at Madison Square

I'he harness type.

Ihe hack type.

when conformation counted fifty or sixty per cent. To an experienced cross-country rider, however, they look sadly out of form.

"Slanting shoulders" is everywhere the cry. Every author I have read, and nearly every man that rides to hounds, if he hardly knows the fetlock from the forelock, will tell you a horse is no good for a hunter without slanting shoulders. So universal has this cry become that it suggests the parrot. "Slanting shoulders! Look at his slanting shoulders!" But when you ask a man why he is so fond of slanting shoulders, the usual answer is: "Well, because "^ hunter should have slanting shoulders!" Occasionally a man will venture to say a horse with slanting shoulders can gallop faster. This is manifestly incorrect. Some of the fastest horses that have ever turned a track have had rather upright and sometimes even loaded shoulders.

There was the celebrated thoroughbred stallion Barrett, by Bonnie Scotland, that held the three-quarter-mile record (1.14) for years. He was sent to England by Mr. Pierre Lorillard, with Iroquois, at the time that horse won the Derby, being the owner's favourite for that event, but scratched for uncertain starting at the post. This horse Barrett had not only rather upright but decidedly loaded shoulders. This, indeed, was the characteristic of many of the Bonnie Scotlands, and as a family they were the most celebrated record-breaking runners of their generation. So much for galloping. Through the kindness of Mr. Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., Barrett was sent to Genesee Valley, and for eleven years was at the head of the Squawkie

Hill Stud for getting hunters. It is safe to say that although most of his descendants were similar in conformation in this respect, no other thoroughbred stallion in America has produced so many high-class cross-country horses as this same stallion Barrett. So much for the jumping. We must look further than simply the slant of a hunter's shoulder. I am sorry to antagonise this most common belief in slanting shoulders ; one dislikes to sow seeds of discord among pet theories. But this slantingshoulder craze has gone beyond all reason.

Let us see if we cannot find a better reason than because^ or speedy ox jutnping qualities. Let us see if we cannot set up a hypothesis that will stand more of an assault than the present theories for slanting shoulders. A little reflection will prove that the proper position of a saddle on a horse for cross-country work, where there is jumping to be done, is one that places the rider well back, so that his weight comes as near the centre of gravity as possible. Flat-racing and cross-country riding are things of entirely different colour. The forward seat, over the horse's shoulders, — a seat, in fact, where the position of a jockey lying along the neck of his mount brings the rider's centre of gravity well over, if not forward of, the fore legs of his mount, — has been demonstrated beyond question to be the very best position under which a horse on the flat can extend himself. Doubtless a horse with the weight on the shoulders makes the lift of the weight with the spring of the fore legs, which leaves the hind legs and quarters to do the propelling with the least possible hindrance. On the other hand, while a horse may be ridden with the centre of grav-