HANDICAP—is a sporting term, applicable to eitherMATCH,PLATE, orSWEEPSTAKES, in the following way:
—is a sporting term, applicable to eitherMATCH,PLATE, orSWEEPSTAKES, in the following way:
A, B, and C, put an equal sum into a hat. C, who is the handicapper, makes a match for A and B, who, when they have perused it, put their hands into their pockets, and draw them out closed; then they open them together, and if both have money in their hands, the match is confirmed; ifneitherhave money, it is no match: in either of these cases, the handicapper C draws all the money out of the hat: but if one has money in his hand, and the othernone, it is then noMATCH; and he that has the money in his hand, is entitled to the whole deposit in the hat.
AHANDICAP PLATEis the gift of an individual, or raised bySUBSCRIPTION, for which horses are generally declared the day before running, at a certain hour, by written information privately delivered to theClerkof theCourse, whose province it is to make out the list, and hand it to theStewardof theRace; when the weight each horse must carry is irrevocably fixed, (by whoeverthe steward may appoint), and appears in the printed lists of the following morning. Horses thus entered, and declining the weight appointed for them to carry, are of course permitted to be withdrawn, without any forfeit or loss.
HANDING—is sometimes used to express theHANDINGof aCOCKduring his battle in the pit. It is, however, considered merely provincial, and peculiar only to some particular parts of the country; thehanderof thecocksbeing now more generally known by the denomination of aSETTER-TO.—SeeCockpit Royal.
—is sometimes used to express theHANDINGof aCOCKduring his battle in the pit. It is, however, considered merely provincial, and peculiar only to some particular parts of the country; thehanderof thecocksbeing now more generally known by the denomination of aSETTER-TO.—SeeCockpit Royal.
HANDLING,—a term applied byCOCKERSto the judicious handling of aCOCK, when brought up from hiswalk, to ascertain whether he is in proper condition to be placed in thePENS, and prepared to fight in either theMAIN BATTLES, or thebyes. This is done by a particular mode of taking the girt of the body by grasp, to discover the shape and substance, the bone, the probable strength, as well as the firmness or flaccidity of the flesh; upon the aggregate of which so much depends, that in proportion to these qualifications, he isACCEPTEDorrejectedaccordingly.
,—a term applied byCOCKERSto the judicious handling of aCOCK, when brought up from hiswalk, to ascertain whether he is in proper condition to be placed in thePENS, and prepared to fight in either theMAIN BATTLES, or thebyes. This is done by a particular mode of taking the girt of the body by grasp, to discover the shape and substance, the bone, the probable strength, as well as the firmness or flaccidity of the flesh; upon the aggregate of which so much depends, that in proportion to these qualifications, he isACCEPTEDorrejectedaccordingly.
HARBOUR—is a sporting term, applicable solely toDEER, and used only inSTAG HUNTING; when going to covert, and drawing for an out-lyingdeer; upon finding, it is customary to say, WeUNHARBOURa stag, (or hind.) As withHARRIERS, WefindorstartaHARE; or withfox hounds, WeunkennelaFOX.
—is a sporting term, applicable solely toDEER, and used only inSTAG HUNTING; when going to covert, and drawing for an out-lyingdeer; upon finding, it is customary to say, WeUNHARBOURa stag, (or hind.) As withHARRIERS, WefindorstartaHARE; or withfox hounds, WeunkennelaFOX.
HARE.—This small, harmless, inoffensive animal affords a greater diversity of sport in the field, and a greater degree of luxurious entertainment upon the table, than any species ofGAMEin this, or, probably, in any other country. The form, shape, and make of theHAREis too universally known to require description; but the most curious naturalists describe, andaffectto believe, there arefour kindsofharesin different parts of the kingdom. The fact is not so; the species is strictly the same; but they are known to differ in size, speed, substance, and somewhat in colour, according to the soil, climate, fertility, or sterility, of the country where they are bred.
.—This small, harmless, inoffensive animal affords a greater diversity of sport in the field, and a greater degree of luxurious entertainment upon the table, than any species ofGAMEin this, or, probably, in any other country. The form, shape, and make of theHAREis too universally known to require description; but the most curious naturalists describe, andaffectto believe, there arefour kindsofharesin different parts of the kingdom. The fact is not so; the species is strictly the same; but they are known to differ in size, speed, substance, and somewhat in colour, according to the soil, climate, fertility, or sterility, of the country where they are bred.
Haresin hilly and mountainous countries are smaller, but more fleet than any other; those who are the natives of low, wet, marshy ground, or moors, are larger, but less firm and delicious in flesh, as well as less nimble in action. Hares bred in open countries, diversified with woods, parks, and arable lands, are in size between both, and afford the bestcoursingbeforeGREYHOUNDS, as well as the longestchasesbeforeHOUNDS. Every part of the hare is admirably formed for the promotionof speed; which, in conjunction with other natural advantages, greatly enables her to evade the pursuits and stratagems of her numerous enemies.
The sense ofSMELLING, as well as ofHEARING, the hare possesses in a more exquisite degree than any other animal; the latter of which may be justly attributed to the great length, and singular formation, of the ears, so well adapted to receive the slightest vibration of sound, which even the earth is so well known to convey. Its sense of smelling is so incredibly nice, that the hare canwindanenemy(either man or beast) at a considerable distance, particularly in the stillness of the night; this is evidently occasioned by the elastic formation of the nostrils, and the depth of the division between both, from whence has arisen the appellation ofa hare-lip, with which defect some of the human species are afflicted, in consequence of fright to the mother during the early months of pregnancy. The ears seem to be the regulators of almost every action; for during the chaseoneis alwayserect, the otherhorizontal; unless in suddenly coming upon an unexpected object, when they are for a moment both erect; but, upon turning and renewing her speed, they invariably resume their former position.
TheEYESof theHARE, from the peculiar prominence of their formation, enable her to distinguish objects in almost every direction, without altering the position of either her head or her body; and it is remarkable, that their sight in a straight forward line seems less perfect than in any other. The natural timidity of the hare is excessive; she exists in perpetual fear, and is tremblingly alive to every breeze that can possibly produce alarm. Formed entirely forRUNNING, she either possesses no power, or makes no attemptto walk, but in her slowest motion proceeds byJUMPS. The food of the hare varies with the season, and consists chiefly of young clover, green wheat, short sweet grass in parks or upon lawns; and in the winter, parsley, turnip greens, and other succulent plants. During severe frosts, or deep snow, they make no small havock amongst young fruit-trees and fragrant shrubs, by nibbling the bark, thereby retarding their growth, if not (as is frequently the case) promoting their destruction. It is asserted byMr. Daniel, in his publication called "Rural Sports," that the plantations of aGENTLEMANin the county ofSuffolk, had suffered so much in this way, that, in defence of his improvements, he felt himself under the necessity of destroying hisHARES, when no less thanfive hundredandforty bracefell victims on the occasion.
The almost perpetual and incredibledestructionofHARES, byHUNTING,COURSING,SHOOTING, and the nocturnalnetandwireof thepoacher, (as well as the infinite increase to supply that destruction,) having occasioned suggestions, that they possess the property ofSUPERFŒTATION, it becomes immediately applicable to introduce a remark or two under that head. We are told byMr. Daniel, that "Sir Thomas Brown, in his Treatise onVulgar Errors, asserts this circumstance from his own observation: andBuffondescribes it as one of this animal's peculiar properties, introducing an idea of hermaphrodite hares; as well as that the malessometimesbring forth young; that they are alternatelyMALESandFEMALES, occasionally performing the functions ofeithersex." Nothing can be more contemptible and ridiculous than such conjectures; they are the very essence of mental fertility; and it must suffice to admit, thatSir Thomas BrownandBuffonwere not inquisitive sportsmen, or not scientifically acquainted with the parts necessary to generation.
For want of information so very easily to be obtained, some one of these speculative writers promulgated an erroneous assertion, every day liable to the most palpable confutation; "that in the formation of the genital parts of theMALE HARE, the testiclesdo notappear on theoutsideof the body, but are contained in the same cover with the intestines." It should seem these authors write moretoSURPRIZEthan toINSTRUCT, or that they knew little of the subject they wrote upon; as nineteen sportsmen out of every twenty, who have handled hares in the field, or taken them up before the hounds, can demonstrate the contrary; as the testicles, when the hare is full grown, are not only prominently perceptibleexternally, but of considerable size for so small an animal.
The natural fecundity ofHARESalmost exceeds belief; they continue to breed for nine months out of the twelve; and leverets (young hares) are frequently found and chopped by the hounds inJanuary, when the winter has beenmild. The doe hare goes a month after conception, and at herfirstproduce seldom brings forth more thantwo, afterwardsthree, and sometimesfour. Whenever the number exceeds two, it is a received (and generally believed just) opinion, that each of the young has a white star in the forehead, which, however, is gradually obliterated as they approach maturity. The dam is supposed to suckle them about one-and-twenty days; but takes care to separate them before that time, and deposits them individually in suchformsas she has previously prepared for their reception, at a considerable distance from each other; but so situate, that she can afford maternal protection to the whole. Their prolific powers, and perpetual increase, will create no surprise, when we are respectably informed, that a brace of hares,(the doe pregnant when shut up) were inclosed in a large walled garden, and proper aliment supplied for their sustenance; when at the expiration ofTWELVE MONTHSthe garden was searched, and the produce wasfifty-sevenhares, including the original brace turned down: this fact alone demonstrating the certainty, that the females begin to breed when, or before, they are six months old.
The length of a hare's natural life is limited to six or seven years, and they reach their full growth in eight or nine months. The male is by much the smallest, seldom exceeding in weightfiveorsixpounds; but the females, particularly in some very rich and fertile counties, weigh from seven to eight: some few instances have been known of their weighingninepounds, after beingpaunched. The hare is supposed to be in gentle motion all night during the summer months, and a great part of it in the dreary nights of winter; during the length of whichtheir worksare of such immense perplexity, (inheads,doubles, andcircles,) that little expectation is entertained of finding a hare bythe trail, unless the field is taken early in the morning, soon after she is goneto seat; which is seldom, if ever, before the dawn of day; and in the summer months, very frequently not till long after day-light.
TheHAREtill full grown is calledA LEVERET, and at any age is very difficult to be foundsitting; so nearly does the downy fleak (when close contracted) approach the colour of the ground. In this position the old and experiencedSPORTSMANwill declare the gender of the harebeforeit is started. The head of the male is short and round, the whiskers longer, the slit in the nose wider, the shoulders more ruddy, and the ears shorter and broader, than those of the female; the head of which is long and narrow; the ears long, and sharp at the tip; the fur of the back of a dingey hue, inclining to black, and of superior size to the male. When a hare is observed in itsFORM, it may be easily ascertained, by theearsonly, whether it is aBUCKorDOE; and this is a useful kind of knowledge, particularly at the latter part of the season, when no man, but a hardened poacher, orpot-huntingsportsman, would turn out afemalehare before eitherHOUNDorGREYHOUND, where there is a chance of destroyinga leash, ortwo brace, by the wanton destruction of one.
If the hare found sitting isA BUCK, the ears will be seen drawn close in a parallel line with each other, directly over the shoulders, pointing straight down the back; but ifA DOE, the ears are distended on each side of the neck, having a space between them in the centre. In the chase, aJack hare, (asthe male is sportingly termed,) after the first ring or two, particularly in the spring months, flies his country, goes straight forwards, and affords a good run, but generally falls a victim to his own fortitude at its termination. The female hangs closer to her native spot, depending more upon her instinctive efforts, inheading,doubling,soiling, andsquatting, than speed for her preservation.
Hares bred upon the downs, or in hilly countries, are always the stoutest, and best enabled to escape fromGREYHOUNDS; of which they are so conscious, that they always make for the nearest rising ground, so soon as started. When so severely distrest that they plainly perceive there is no other means of escape, they will take to a brick or wooden drain for security, or evenrun to earth, if one should luckily present itself in the emergency. They are thought to foresee aCHANGEin theWEATHER, and to regulate theirsittingaccordingly. After harvest they are found in stubbles, banks of hedges, woods, and thickets; during the fall of the leaf, they seat themselves more in open fields; and when the severity of winter begins to decline, warm, dry, hilly fallows are hardly ever without them. As one species ofGAME, they are held in high estimation; and, notwithstanding the utmost efforts, by every degree of interdiction, with all thepainsandpenaltiesthat successive parliaments could devise, fromRichardthe Secondto the present day, for their preservation, and appropriation to the use of the superior classes, yet no laws ever proved more fallacious or deceptive; for the infinity ofPOACHERS, with which every rural district abounds, and the alacrity with whichSTAGE COACHMENandCOUNTRY HIGLERSsupply theirfriends, will never let any inquirer be in want ofA HARE, who has hisfive shillingsin hand as a means of retribution. ThisINSUFFICIENCYof theLAWto check nocturnal depredation, and progressive infamy, is most sincerely to be regretted; but experience has long held forth ample conviction, that regret cannot produce redress.
HARE-HUNTING—is a well-known sport, of very ancient and enthusiastic enjoyment, reported, by the most celebratedANTIQUARIES, to have been established more thantwo thousandyears before theChristian æra. Various opinions have been occasionally promulgated, and perseveringly supported, (by cynical rigidity, and religious severity,) upon the "cruelty of the chase;" which, however, is nowneverlikely to be shaken in eithertheoryorpractice, as to almost everyPACK OF HOUNDSin the kingdom there are clerical devotees, who are by no means unworthyMEMBERSof theCHURCH.
—is a well-known sport, of very ancient and enthusiastic enjoyment, reported, by the most celebratedANTIQUARIES, to have been established more thantwo thousandyears before theChristian æra. Various opinions have been occasionally promulgated, and perseveringly supported, (by cynical rigidity, and religious severity,) upon the "cruelty of the chase;" which, however, is nowneverlikely to be shaken in eithertheoryorpractice, as to almost everyPACK OF HOUNDSin the kingdom there are clerical devotees, who are by no means unworthyMEMBERSof theCHURCH.
Hare-hunting, though universal in every part of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, is in the highest estimation in those open and champaigncounties where, from want of covert, aSTAGorFOXis never seen. Here the hares are stouter, more accustomed to long nightly exercise, more frequently disturbed, more inured to severe courses beforeGREYHOUNDS, and hard runs before hounds; consequently, calculated to afford much better sport than can be expected in either an inclosed or woodland country. There are three distinct kinds of hounds, with which this particular chase is pursued, according to the soil and natural face of the district where it is enjoyed. The large slowSOUTHERN HOUNDis adapted to the low swampy, marshy lands, so conspicuous in many parts of Lancashire; as well as those in Norfolk, and various others bordering upon the sea. The small, busy, indefatigableBEAGLEseems appropriated by nature to those steep, hilly and mountainous parts, where it is impossible for the best horse and boldest rider to keep constantly with the hounds. The hounds now calledHARRIERS, and originally produced by a cross between theSOUTHERN HOUNDand theDWARF FOX, are the only hounds to succeed in those open countries, where, for want of covert, the hare goes five or six miles an endwithout a turn; as is frequently the case in many parts of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, and other counties; constituting chasesvery superiorto manyFOX HOUNDS, hunting beechen coverts and woodland districts.
Hare-hunting, when put in competition with the pursuit ofSTAGorfox, is much more gratifying to the ruminative and reflecting mind, than either of the other two; as it affords a more ample field for minute observation upon the instinctive sagacity of theGAME, and the patient, persevering fortitude of theHOUND, in the variousheads,turns, anddoubles, of the chase. Hence it is that hare-hunting is principally followed, and most enjoyed, by sportsmen in the decline of life; but with the younger branches it is held in very slender estimation, as they in general appreciate theexcellenceofsportmore by the difficulty in pursuing it, than by its duration. Hare-hunting, in a woody or inclosed country, is such a perpetual routine of repetition within a small sphere, affording no more than a continual succession of thesame thing, that with a zealous rider, and a high-mettled horse, it soon palls upon the appetite of both. Young men, from emulative motives, (naturally appertaining to their time of life,) feel a pressing propensity to encounter obstacles, and surmount difficulties, where the effect of vigour and manly courage can be displayed, and consequently prefer the kind of chase where personal fortitude, and bodily exertion, are brought more to the proof; and where, by covering a larger scope of country, and with a much greater proportional rapidity, a more pleasing and extensive variety is obtained.
Another cause of mortification constantly presents itself to young sportsmen withHARRIERS, orBEAGLES, in the field: a valuable horse, or a bold rider, are equally unnecessary inHARE-HUNTING, and this is eternally brought to an incontrovertible proof; for after a burst of five minutes, in which a perfect hunter has an opportunity of displaying his speed, and, afterclearingsome dangerousleaps, a sudden turn ordoubleof theHARE, brings him by the side of a rustic upon a poney offive pounds value, who isninetimes out oftenas forward as himself. The infinite time lost infinding, where hares are not in great plenty; the frequency offaults; the persecuting tediousness ofcold hunting; and the injury done toHORSESin drizzling dreary days, during hours of slow action, are great drawbacks to the pleasure this species of hunting would otherwise afford.
Moderate sportsmenwill never avail themselves ofimmoderatemeans to occasion a contraction of their own sport, by a wanton or unnecessary destruction of hares; too great a body of hounds should never be brought into the field, or anyunfairmodes adopted during the chase:pricking a harein the paths, or upon the highways, as well as placing emissaries uponthe soil, are paltry, mean, and disgraceful artifices, that no genuine, well-bred,HONEST SPORTSMAN, will ever permit; but candidly acknowledge, if theHOUNDScannotkill her, she ought toESCAPE. In respect to numbers,lessthanTWELVE, ormorethanEIGHTEENcouple ought never to be brought from the kennel to the chase; nor, indeed, seldom are, unless with those who think much less ofSPORT, than of personalprideandostentation.
Mr. Beckford, who is a perfect master of this subject, has so completely investigated, and minutely explained, every particular appertaining to thechaseof bothHAREandFOX, that as it is absolutely impossible to suggest anidea, or communicate athought, but what must carry with it the appearance of plagiarism; it will be more candid, (evidently more honest) to introduce occasional passages in his own words, as language more expressive, by which they will be infinitely better understood. He says, "By inclination he was never a hare-hunter; but followed the diversion more for air and exercise than amusement; and if he could have persuaded himself to ride on the turnpike road to the three mile stone, and back again, he never should have thought himself in need of a pack of harriers."
He then apologizes to "his brotherHARE-HUNTERSfor holding the sport so cheap, not wishing to offend; alluding more relatively to his own particular situation in a country where hare-hunting is so bad, that it is more extraordinary he shouldhave persevered in it so long, than he should have forsaken it then." Adding, "how much he respects hunting in whatever shape it appears; that it is a manly and a wholesome exercise, and seems by nature designed to be the amusement of a Briton." He is of opinion that more than twenty couple of hounds should never be brought into the field; supposing it difficult for a greater number to run well together; and a pack of harriers can never be complete who do not. He thinks the fewer hounds you have, the less you soil the ground, which sometimes proves a hindrance to the chase.
Custom has greatly varied in the practice ofHARE-HUNTINGduring the last thirty years: at that time the hounds left the kennel at day-light,took trailupon beingthrown off, and soon went up to theirGAME; which having the pleasure to find by their own instinctive sagacity, they pursued with the more determined alacrity: a brace or leash of hares were then killed, and the sport of the day concluded, by the hour it is nowthe fashionfor the company to take the field. As thetrailof a hare lays both partially and imperfectly when it gets late in the day, so the difficulty offindingis increased, in proportion to the lateness of the hour at which the hounds are thrown off; hence it is thatHARE-FINDERS, so little known at that time, are now become so truly instrumental to the sport of the day.
Although their services are welcome to the eager and expectant sportsman, yet it is on all hands admitted, they are prejudicial to the discipline of hounds; for having such assistance, they become habituallyidle, and individuallywild: expecting the game to be readily found for them, they become totally indifferent to the task of finding it themselves.Houndsof this description know the hare-finder as well as they know theHUNTSMAN, and will not only, upon sight, set off to meet him, but have eternally their heads thrown up in the air, in expectation of a viewHOLLOA!
With all well-managed packs, they are quietly brought up to the place of meeting; and whenthrown off, a general silence should prevail, that every hound may be permitted to do his own work. Hounds well bred, and well broke to their business, seldom want assistance. Officious intrusions frequently do more harm than good: nothing requires greater judgment, or nicer observation in speaking to a hound, than to know the critical time when a word is wanting. Young men, like young hounds, are frequently accustomed tobabblewhen newly entered, and, by their frivolous questions or conversation, attract the attention of the hounds, and insure the silentcurseof theHUNTSMAN, as well as the contemptuous indifference of every experienced sportsman in the field.
Whenever a hare is turned out of her form, or jumps up before the hounds, a general shout of clamorous exultation too frequently prevails, by which the hare's intentional course is perverted, and she is oftenheaded, or turned into the body of theHOUNDSto acertain death; when, on the contrary, was she permitted to go off with less alarm, and to break view, without being so closely pressed at starting, there is no doubt but much better runs would be more generally obtained. Individual emulation, or individualobstinacy, invariably occasions horsemen in hare-hunting to be too near the hounds, who, being naturally urged by the rattling of the horses, and the exulting zeal of the riders, often very much over-run the scent, and have no alternative but toturnanddivideamidst the legs of the horses, so soon as they have lost it; and to this circumstance may be justly attributed many of the long and tediousfaultswhich so frequently occur, and render this kind of chase the less attracting.
Gentlemen who keepHARRIERSvary much in their modes of hunting them; but the true sportsman never deviates from the strict impartiality of the chase. If a hare is foundsitting, and the hounds too near at hand, they are immediately drawn off, to prevent her beingchoppedin herform: the hare is then silently walked up by the individual who previously found her, and she is permitted to gooff at herown pace, and herown way. The hounds are then drawn over the spot from whence she started, where taking the scent, they go off in a style of uniformity, constituting what may be fairly termed the consistency of the chase. Others there are who never can, ornever will, resist the temptation of givingthe hounds a view, and never fail to tell you, bothHAREandHOUNDSrun the better for it. In addition to thishumanemethod of beginning the chase, every advantage is taken of the poor affrighted animal's distress, amidst all its little instinctive efforts for the preservation of life. The hounds, instead of being permitted to run the soil, and kill the hare by dint of their own persevering labour, are constantlycappedfromchasetoview; and the object of the sport most wantonly and uncharitably destroyed; for nothing less than a miracle can effect its escape.
Those of nicer sensations enjoy the sport, but enjoy it much more mercifully; and would rather see their own hounds occasionallybeaten, than, by any unfair or unsportsman-like introduction, kill their hare. These never permit a profusion of vociferous assistance from the huntsman, who is enjoined to an almost silent execution of his own duty, that the hounds may not be prevented (byhis noise) from a strict and attentive performance of theirs. If theythrow up, upon a dry or greasy fallow, a footpath, a highway, or a turnpike-road,a thousand busy bustling endeavours are to be self-made for a recovery of the scent, before any one effort is permitted to assist inlifting them along; and even then, not till every patient and persevering struggle has failed of success. The sportsman of this description admits of no device, stratagem, orfoul playwhatever; theHOUNDSmusthuntthe hare; they must go over every inch of ground she has gone before them; they musthit offtheir own checks, recover theirfaults; and, by cold hunting,pick it along, where, in passing through a flock of sheep, the ground has been foiled, and the chase proportionally retarded. Early and extensivecastsare unjust, unless upon some unexpected or unavoidable emergency; as the repeated interventions of sheep, or intersections of roads, or fallows in a dry season; when it would be impossible to make the least progress in getting the hounds along without assistance.
When hounds come to a check, not a horse should move, not a voice should be heard: every hound is eagerly employed, exerting all his powers for a recovery of the scent, in which, if not officiously obstructed, they will most probably soon succeed. At such times there is generally, and unluckily, somepopinjayin the field, who, unfortunately for himself, never speaks but upon the mostimproperoccasion; rendering, at such moment, the judicious observation ofMr. Beckfordtrulyneat and applicable, that "when in the field, he never desires to hear any othertonguethan aHOUND." Whenever assistance to hounds is become unavoidably necessary, and the chase cannot be carried on without, sound judgment, and long experience, are necessary to speedy success. Casts cannot be made by any fixed, certain, or invariable rules, but must, at different times, be differently dependent upon thechase, thesoil, theweather, and thekindofcountryyou are hunting in. It may, in one instance, be prudent to tryforwardfirst; in another, to tryback; as it may be judicious, or necessary, to make asmallcircular cast at one time, and a muchlargerat another; and although to one of the field, circumstances may appear, ineitherinstance, to have been nearly the same, yet they have not been so in the "mind's eye" of theHUNTSMAN, (or the person hunting the hounds,) upon whose superior knowledge, or circumspection, thegoodorilleffect of the experiment must depend.
None, but weak or inexperienced sportsmen, ever presume to obtrude their opinions when hounds areat fault; those who do it, soon find the interference isill-timed, and that it only excites a contemptuous indifference. Strangers cannot be too cautious and circumspect in the field, if they wish to avoid just reproofs, and not to encounter rebuffs: some there are, whose hard fate it is to becomeconspicuously ridiculous upon every occasion that can occur, and to such, unfortunately for them, occasions are seldom wanting. During the chase, they are ridinginto,over, orbefore, theHOUNDS; and at everycheck, asking some vexatious, trifling question of theHUNTSMAN; or entering into a frivolous conversation with what seemsto themthe most vulnerable subject of the company. Officious individuals of this description, whose error too frequently originates in a certain degree of personal pride, and unbounded confidence, should learn to know, that "the post of honour is a private station;" as well as that anold pollardin a painting, might be admirably calculated to form a respectable object in the back-ground, but never intended by the artist to become a principal figure in the front of the picture.
HARE NETS—are of two sorts, one of which will be found described under the head "Gate-nets;" the other are calledPURSE-NETS, and are exactly in the form of cabbage-nets, but of larger and stronger construction. These occasionally afford collateral aid to the former; for being fixed at the different meuses (either in hedges, or to paling) whereHARESare expected to pass, and the ground being scoured by amute lurcher, as there described, the destruction is certain. These nets are the nocturnal engines of old and experiencedPOACHERS, doing more mischief where hares are plenty, inonenight, than thewiremanufacturers can accomplish in a week.
—are of two sorts, one of which will be found described under the head "Gate-nets;" the other are calledPURSE-NETS, and are exactly in the form of cabbage-nets, but of larger and stronger construction. These occasionally afford collateral aid to the former; for being fixed at the different meuses (either in hedges, or to paling) whereHARESare expected to pass, and the ground being scoured by amute lurcher, as there described, the destruction is certain. These nets are the nocturnal engines of old and experiencedPOACHERS, doing more mischief where hares are plenty, inonenight, than thewiremanufacturers can accomplish in a week.
"HARK FORWARD!"—is a sporting exclamation, well known in the practice of the field, and affords to every distant hearer, authentic information, that the hounds area-head, and going on with the chase. It sometimes happens, that, in very large and thick coverts, no man or horse existing can be in with the hounds; at which times (particularly in stormy weather) recourse must be had to every means for general accommodation. The best sportsmen are often thrown outfor miles, and not unfrequently forthe day, by various turns of theCHASEinCOVERT, and then breakingup the windon a contrary side, leaving every listening expectant in an awkward predicament, if not relieved by the friendly communication of "HOIC FORWARD!" from one to another, enabling the whole to continue the sport.
—is a sporting exclamation, well known in the practice of the field, and affords to every distant hearer, authentic information, that the hounds area-head, and going on with the chase. It sometimes happens, that, in very large and thick coverts, no man or horse existing can be in with the hounds; at which times (particularly in stormy weather) recourse must be had to every means for general accommodation. The best sportsmen are often thrown outfor miles, and not unfrequently forthe day, by various turns of theCHASEinCOVERT, and then breakingup the windon a contrary side, leaving every listening expectant in an awkward predicament, if not relieved by the friendly communication of "HOIC FORWARD!" from one to another, enabling the whole to continue the sport.
HARE-PIPES—were instruments so curiously constructed, to imitate the whining whimper ofA HARE, that, being formerly found a very destructive nocturnal engine in attracting the attention of hares, and bringing them within the certain possession of thePOACHER, their use was prohibited (by particular specification) in every Act of Parliament for the preservation of game, from the reign of Richard the Second, to the present time; althoughit is natural to conclude, there is notnowsuch an article to be seen, or found in the kingdom.
—were instruments so curiously constructed, to imitate the whining whimper ofA HARE, that, being formerly found a very destructive nocturnal engine in attracting the attention of hares, and bringing them within the certain possession of thePOACHER, their use was prohibited (by particular specification) in every Act of Parliament for the preservation of game, from the reign of Richard the Second, to the present time; althoughit is natural to conclude, there is notnowsuch an article to be seen, or found in the kingdom.
HARRIERS—are the species of hound appropriated solely to the pursuit of theHARE, and from thence derived their present appellation. The breeding experiments so long made, and the various crosses so repeatedly tried, by the best judges in the kingdom, seem at length to have centered between the old southern and the dwarf fox hound.Mr. Beckford, whose "Thoughts" no sensible man, or judicious sportsman, will presume to dispute, was entirely of this opinion, and proved it by his practice; for he says, "his hounds were a cross of both these kinds, in which it was his endeavour to get as much bone and strength, in as small a compass as possible. It was a difficult undertaking. He bred many years, and an infinity of hounds, before he could get what he wanted, and had at last the pleasure to see them very handsome; small, yet very bony: they ran remarkably well together; ran fast enough; had all the alacrity that could be desired, and would hunt the coldest scent. When they were thus perfect, he did as many others do—he parted with them."
—are the species of hound appropriated solely to the pursuit of theHARE, and from thence derived their present appellation. The breeding experiments so long made, and the various crosses so repeatedly tried, by the best judges in the kingdom, seem at length to have centered between the old southern and the dwarf fox hound.Mr. Beckford, whose "Thoughts" no sensible man, or judicious sportsman, will presume to dispute, was entirely of this opinion, and proved it by his practice; for he says, "his hounds were a cross of both these kinds, in which it was his endeavour to get as much bone and strength, in as small a compass as possible. It was a difficult undertaking. He bred many years, and an infinity of hounds, before he could get what he wanted, and had at last the pleasure to see them very handsome; small, yet very bony: they ran remarkably well together; ran fast enough; had all the alacrity that could be desired, and would hunt the coldest scent. When they were thus perfect, he did as many others do—he parted with them."
Notwithstanding the criterion of excellence thus laid down, the same sort of hound (as a harrier) is by no means applicable to every soil: thesouthern hound will be always in possession ofTHE SWAMPS, as will the beagles of the mountainous and hilly countries. Those who delight in seeing hounds bred and drafted to a certain degree of uniformity, insize,bone,strength, andspeed, strictly corresponding with the opinion ofMr. Beckford, will not find it time lost, to take the field with theharriersof hisMajesty, kept at Windsor: they are, as they ought to be, the best pack, and the best hunted, this day in the kingdom. See the Frontispiece; where everyMAN,HORSE, andHOUND, is individually a portrait.
HART—is the sporting term synonimous withStag, (whichSEE,) and was, in all forest laws and records, constantly in use to signify the same. At present, however, it is considered almost obsolete, and never so expressed in sporting report, or conversation.
—is the sporting term synonimous withStag, (whichSEE,) and was, in all forest laws and records, constantly in use to signify the same. At present, however, it is considered almost obsolete, and never so expressed in sporting report, or conversation.
HART ROYAL.—A stag hunted byKINGorQUEEN, obtaining his perfect liberty by beating the hounds, was formerly called a hart royal; and proclamation was immediately made, in the towns and villages of the neighbourhood where he was lost, that he should not be molested, or his life attempted by any farther pursuit; but that he should continue in a state of unrestrained freedom, with power to return to theFORESTorCHACEfrom whence he was taken at hisOWN FREE WILL. This ceremony is,however, discontinued, and bids fair to be buried in a perpetual oblivion; as two instances have recently occurred worthy recital: one in the neighbourhood ofHigh Wycombe, where theSTAGwas killed before the hounds, by a rustic, during the heat of the chase, in which theKingat the time was personally engaged. And another atMapledurham, nearReading, where the deer was wantonly shot, as he lay in a willow bank near the Thames, two days after he had beaten the hounds; yet it is publicly known, that no steps were taken to prosecute the offenders, which probably originated in his Majesty's clemency.
.—A stag hunted byKINGorQUEEN, obtaining his perfect liberty by beating the hounds, was formerly called a hart royal; and proclamation was immediately made, in the towns and villages of the neighbourhood where he was lost, that he should not be molested, or his life attempted by any farther pursuit; but that he should continue in a state of unrestrained freedom, with power to return to theFORESTorCHACEfrom whence he was taken at hisOWN FREE WILL. This ceremony is,however, discontinued, and bids fair to be buried in a perpetual oblivion; as two instances have recently occurred worthy recital: one in the neighbourhood ofHigh Wycombe, where theSTAGwas killed before the hounds, by a rustic, during the heat of the chase, in which theKingat the time was personally engaged. And another atMapledurham, nearReading, where the deer was wantonly shot, as he lay in a willow bank near the Thames, two days after he had beaten the hounds; yet it is publicly known, that no steps were taken to prosecute the offenders, which probably originated in his Majesty's clemency.
HAUNCH and HIP—of a horse, have been hitherto (but not with strict propriety) used in a similar sense: nice observers might say one begins where the other ends, or that one immediately succeeds the other. The haunch is that part of the hind quarter extending from the point of the hip-bone, down the thigh to the hock; but as it is a part well known, and but little subject to partial disease or accident, it lays claim to no particular description. The term of "putting a horse upon his haunches," implies the making him constantly fix the principal weight of the frame upon his hind quarters, by which practice he bears less upon the bit, and becomes habitually light in hand. Horses hard in mouth, and heavy in hand, frequently undergo the ceremony of being put upon theirhaunches in the trammels of aRIDING SCHOOL, where, by too severe and inconsiderate exertions, suddentwists,distortions, andstrains, are sustained in theHOCKS, which terminate inCURBSandSPAVINSnever to be obliterated.
—of a horse, have been hitherto (but not with strict propriety) used in a similar sense: nice observers might say one begins where the other ends, or that one immediately succeeds the other. The haunch is that part of the hind quarter extending from the point of the hip-bone, down the thigh to the hock; but as it is a part well known, and but little subject to partial disease or accident, it lays claim to no particular description. The term of "putting a horse upon his haunches," implies the making him constantly fix the principal weight of the frame upon his hind quarters, by which practice he bears less upon the bit, and becomes habitually light in hand. Horses hard in mouth, and heavy in hand, frequently undergo the ceremony of being put upon theirhaunches in the trammels of aRIDING SCHOOL, where, by too severe and inconsiderate exertions, suddentwists,distortions, andstrains, are sustained in theHOCKS, which terminate inCURBSandSPAVINSnever to be obliterated.
HAUNCH of VENISON—implies the hind quarter of aFALLOW DEER, (either buck or doe,) cut in a particular form for the table. The hind quarter of aSTAG, orHIND, also passes under the same denomination; but it is more applicable to form a distinction, and call the former a haunch of venison; the latter, a haunch of red deer.
—implies the hind quarter of aFALLOW DEER, (either buck or doe,) cut in a particular form for the table. The hind quarter of aSTAG, orHIND, also passes under the same denomination; but it is more applicable to form a distinction, and call the former a haunch of venison; the latter, a haunch of red deer.
HAW.—The haw is that cartilaginous part of a horse's eye, plainly perceptible at the inner corner next the forehead, which internally constitutes a circular groove for the easier acceleration of the eye in its orbit. When confined within its natural and proper sphere, it is but just in sight, when taking a front view of the horse; but when it has acquired a preternatural degree of enlargement, it protrudes over part of the orb, partially obstructs the sight, particularly in that direction, and constitutes no small disfiguration of the horse. Ingenuity heretofore suggested the possibility of extirpation with the knife, which operation has been frequently performed, but with too little success to justify a continuance of the practice. It having been found, that when the haw was taken away by a regular process,and by the hand of the most expertOPERATOR, yet the eye, for want of its former support, was observed to become contracted in the socket, and a total deprivation of sight to follow, evidently demonstrating "theREMEDYworse than theDISEASE;" as well as to convince us, it is sometimes more prudent
.—The haw is that cartilaginous part of a horse's eye, plainly perceptible at the inner corner next the forehead, which internally constitutes a circular groove for the easier acceleration of the eye in its orbit. When confined within its natural and proper sphere, it is but just in sight, when taking a front view of the horse; but when it has acquired a preternatural degree of enlargement, it protrudes over part of the orb, partially obstructs the sight, particularly in that direction, and constitutes no small disfiguration of the horse. Ingenuity heretofore suggested the possibility of extirpation with the knife, which operation has been frequently performed, but with too little success to justify a continuance of the practice. It having been found, that when the haw was taken away by a regular process,and by the hand of the most expertOPERATOR, yet the eye, for want of its former support, was observed to become contracted in the socket, and a total deprivation of sight to follow, evidently demonstrating "theREMEDYworse than theDISEASE;" as well as to convince us, it is sometimes more prudent
"—— to bear those ills we have,Than fly to others that we know not of."
HAWKS,—as birds of prey, are divided into two sorts, called long and short winged hawks: of the former there are ten, and of the latter eight; but their names, and particular description, is so remote from the language and manners of the present time, and their use so nearly obsolete, that the least animadversion would prove entirely superfluous.
,—as birds of prey, are divided into two sorts, called long and short winged hawks: of the former there are ten, and of the latter eight; but their names, and particular description, is so remote from the language and manners of the present time, and their use so nearly obsolete, that the least animadversion would prove entirely superfluous.
HAWKING—was some centuries since a sport of much fashion and celebrity; theHAWKSbeing as regularly broke and trained to the pursuit and taking of game, as are the bestSETTERSandPOINTERSof the present day. It is, however, so completely grown into disuse, and buried in oblivion, that there does not appear the least glimmering of its ever attaining a chance ofSPORTINGresurrection.
—was some centuries since a sport of much fashion and celebrity; theHAWKSbeing as regularly broke and trained to the pursuit and taking of game, as are the bestSETTERSandPOINTERSof the present day. It is, however, so completely grown into disuse, and buried in oblivion, that there does not appear the least glimmering of its ever attaining a chance ofSPORTINGresurrection.
HAY—is the well-known article of grass, cut in its most luxuriant and nutritious state during the months ofJuneandJuly; when the succulent parts, tending most to putrefaction, being extracted by the powerful rays of the sun, it acquires (if the season should prove dry, and favourable for the operation) a degree of fragrancy nearly equal to a collection of aromatic herbs.Hay, in this state, is a most attracting sort ofALIMENTto horses of every description, and is so truly grateful to the appetite, that it is often accepted when corn is refused. Of hay there are different kinds; asMEADOWhay,CLOVERhay, andSAINFOIN. The first is called natural grass, as the spontaneous produce of what is termed pasture land: the two latter are deemed artificial, as being cultivated upon arable land, and affording crops of onlyBIENNIALandTRIENNIALduration; when the fertility of which is so far exhausted, as to render a crop of the ensuing year anunprofitableprospect, the land is ploughed up, to undergo its regular routine of cultivation, when crops of this description are renewed, by sowing the seed previously preserved for the purpose.
—is the well-known article of grass, cut in its most luxuriant and nutritious state during the months ofJuneandJuly; when the succulent parts, tending most to putrefaction, being extracted by the powerful rays of the sun, it acquires (if the season should prove dry, and favourable for the operation) a degree of fragrancy nearly equal to a collection of aromatic herbs.Hay, in this state, is a most attracting sort ofALIMENTto horses of every description, and is so truly grateful to the appetite, that it is often accepted when corn is refused. Of hay there are different kinds; asMEADOWhay,CLOVERhay, andSAINFOIN. The first is called natural grass, as the spontaneous produce of what is termed pasture land: the two latter are deemed artificial, as being cultivated upon arable land, and affording crops of onlyBIENNIALandTRIENNIALduration; when the fertility of which is so far exhausted, as to render a crop of the ensuing year anunprofitableprospect, the land is ploughed up, to undergo its regular routine of cultivation, when crops of this description are renewed, by sowing the seed previously preserved for the purpose.
Fine, rich, short, fragrant meadow hay, has by much the preference with theSPORTINGworld; as well as with all those who employ horses in light work, and expeditious action: it varies much in its property; not more in respect to the manner inwhich it is made, than to the soil it is produced from. Those who are anxious for theHEALTHandCONDITIONof their horses, are always as judiciously circumspect in the choice of their hay as their corn; experimentally knowing, as much depends upon the excellence of one as the other. Hay produced from rushy land, or mossy moors, is always of inferior quality, and impoverishes the blood of the horses who eat it, in proportion to its own sterility. Those who inconsiderately purchasecheap hayupon the score of economy, will have to repent their want of liberality. Whether it iscoarse, and barren of nutritious property, orill-made,musty, and repugnant to appetite, the effect sooner or later will be much the same; and those who imprudently make the experiment, will soon find, that horses ill-kept, and less fed than nature requires, for the support of the frame, and the supply of the various secretions by the different emunctories, will soon display, in their external appearance, a tendency to disease.
Clover hayis produced in most counties in the kingdom; it is generally sown withBARLEY, sometimes withOATS, and least of all withWHEAT: it constitutes, upon dry ground, a profitable and convenient pasture in the autumn, and affords its general crop the following season. If luxuriant, it is mown twice in the same summer; but the second crop is not considered equal in value to the first.This hay is said, by those who ought to be the best enabled to judge and decide, superior to every other as to its nutritious property: this may be admitted in a certain degree, so far as its increasing the crassamentum of the blood, and proportionally promoting its viscidity; rendering horses who are constantly fed upon it (for instance, farmers horses) fuller in flesh, duller in action, and thicker in the wind, than those who are supported upon food of a lighter description. Although well calculated for slow and heavy draft horses, it is by no means adapted to those of expeditious action; for the blood thus thickened, becoming more languid or tardy in its circulation, would, when propelled through the vessels with great and sudden velocity, in hunting, or journies of speed upon the road, inevitably lay the foundation of different inflammatory disorders.
Sainfoinis rather an article of necessity than choice, and very little known in some parts of England, where nature has been more liberal in her diversity of vegetation: it is principally cultivated in the upland counties, where neither a meadow, stream, or rivulet, is to be seen for a great number of miles in succession. Many very extensive farms in the lower counties west of the metropolis, feel the want of pasture land, not having a single acre of meadow or natural grass in possession. Necessity, the mother of invention, has, however,so amply furnished a variety of substitutes, that their horses, and stock of every kind, seem equal, upon the average, to what is produced in any other part of the kingdom.