[3]One pound of antimony, four ounces of sulphur, and syrup of buckthorn a sufficient quantity to give it a proper consistence. Each ball to weigh about seven drachms.
[3]One pound of antimony, four ounces of sulphur, and syrup of buckthorn a sufficient quantity to give it a proper consistence. Each ball to weigh about seven drachms.
HOUZING.—The houzing of a horse is a part of military paraphernalia appertaining to officers of cavalry in general, and the privates of the King's horse guards in particular; consisting of scarlettrappings ornamented with gold lace, fringe, and some part of the insignia of the crown. They are fastened to the hinder part of the saddle, and suspended from the loins, so as to cover the flanks, and a part of the hind-quarters on each side.GeneralandFIELD OFFICERShave their houzings principally manufactured of lions, tigers, or leopard's skins, giving additional magnificence to the stately grandeur of theMILITARY CHARGER.
.—The houzing of a horse is a part of military paraphernalia appertaining to officers of cavalry in general, and the privates of the King's horse guards in particular; consisting of scarlettrappings ornamented with gold lace, fringe, and some part of the insignia of the crown. They are fastened to the hinder part of the saddle, and suspended from the loins, so as to cover the flanks, and a part of the hind-quarters on each side.GeneralandFIELD OFFICERShave their houzings principally manufactured of lions, tigers, or leopard's skins, giving additional magnificence to the stately grandeur of theMILITARY CHARGER.
HUMOURS.—All chronic disorders in the horse, arising from an impure state of the blood, are with the inferior classes in general denominated "HUMOURS;" as a concise mode of avoiding scientific investigation, or medical ambiguity, and bringing the case immediately home, as they think, toeverycomprehension. With people of the description alluded to (whetherSMITHS,FARRIERS,COACHMEN, orGROOMS) the wordhumoursis conceived so wonderfully comprehensive, that it isby themsupposed to convey an infinite idea ofevery thing, at the very moment it is known, by their superiors and employers, to imply no definite or certain meaning at all. If a horse has swelled legs, they are the effect of "humours." If an inflammation of and defluxion from the eyes, they are equally produced by "humours." Should cracked heels appear (the evident effect of idleness, and want of attention) they too are brought on by "humours." Even thrushes, occasioned in general by equal neglect andwant of cleanliness, are also frequently attributed to "humours;" and to sum up the intrinsic value of this professionalGEM, even lameness, in a variety of cases, whether behind or before, above or below, is mostsapiently, if notSCIENTIFICALLY, attributed to thatne plus ultraof definition, denominatedhumours.
.—All chronic disorders in the horse, arising from an impure state of the blood, are with the inferior classes in general denominated "HUMOURS;" as a concise mode of avoiding scientific investigation, or medical ambiguity, and bringing the case immediately home, as they think, toeverycomprehension. With people of the description alluded to (whetherSMITHS,FARRIERS,COACHMEN, orGROOMS) the wordhumoursis conceived so wonderfully comprehensive, that it isby themsupposed to convey an infinite idea ofevery thing, at the very moment it is known, by their superiors and employers, to imply no definite or certain meaning at all. If a horse has swelled legs, they are the effect of "humours." If an inflammation of and defluxion from the eyes, they are equally produced by "humours." Should cracked heels appear (the evident effect of idleness, and want of attention) they too are brought on by "humours." Even thrushes, occasioned in general by equal neglect andwant of cleanliness, are also frequently attributed to "humours;" and to sum up the intrinsic value of this professionalGEM, even lameness, in a variety of cases, whether behind or before, above or below, is mostsapiently, if notSCIENTIFICALLY, attributed to thatne plus ultraof definition, denominatedhumours.
Thus far upon whatHUMOURSaresupposedto be; now to what they are. It may readily be conceived by those not professionally informed on the subject, that theBLOOD(which is the very mainspring of existence) must have preserved such kind of equality, consistency, or uniformity, in its component parts, as to constitute a precise standard, necessary to the enjoyment and preservation ofHEALTH. This incontrovertible position being admitted beyond all possible ground of controversy, what does it evidently demonstrate? Why, that as much as theBLOODis enrichedabove, or impoverishedbelow, thatSTANDARD, in itsproperty, so in proportion must it approach the kind of disease appertaining to the one extreme or the other. To those whose intellectual rays are open to conviction, not a single line more would be required in explanation; but that the mostincredulous, the mostobstinate, and the mostilliterate, may have equal opportunity of information, let the two different states of the blood, (as just explained,) with their effects, be adverted to. When it has, by a superabundanceof food and ease, a neglect of exercise, and a want of the necessary evacuations, acquired a degree of consistence (or thickness) above the criterion already described, it then becomes tooheavyandsluggishfor its purpose of regularCIRCULATION, and is proportionally inadequate to the task of propelling the perspirative matter to the surface, which being thus compulsively returned upon the blood, adds to its siziness, and promotes its viscidity, jointly tending to such partial stagnation, as soon displays itself in some one of the many disorders to which horses are incident, in the hands of those where prevention is not attended to.
Having taken a survey of the state of theBLOOD, by which swelled legs, grease, foulness, inflammatory tumours, formations of matter in various parts, and one species of farcy, may be produced, it will be necessary to take a short view of it in its contrasted state, when, by a continued series ofhardwork, withbadkeep, a constant supply of unhealthy provender, inmustyoats,mouldyhay, or any other article distending the body, without adequate nutriment to the frame, as well as the want of a proper supply, in proportion to the necessarySECRETIONSandEVACUATIONS, will either, or all, tend todiminishtheCRASSAMENTUM, or adhesive property of the blood, and in a greater or less degree (according to the cause) reduce it to a serous or weak and watery state, below the standardof mediocrity so clearly explained; when acquiring acrimony in proportion as it has been reduced, the effect seldom rests upon emaciation only, but soon displays itself in some cutaneous eruption, so constantly dependent upon, and appertaining to, an impoverished state of the blood.
This distinction has been introduced, not more to throw some satisfactory light upon the ambiguity of the expression, which it seems so few understand, than to prove the necessity for paying such attention to the general state of aHORSE'S HEALTHand appearance, as may at least be the means of preventing disease, anxiety, trouble, expence, and probably the eventual loss of a useful, or even a valuable, animal, which too often happens for want of a little humane circumspection; when it is then experimentally foundREPENTANCEcomes too late. As thefertileidea ofHUMOURSfrequently originates in error, so the error is continued in the medical mode of counteraction; for let the derangement in the animal economy have happened from whichever of the causes described, the system adopted is much the same in all cases, and with all classes, rendering sometimes the remedy worse than the disease. Those, however, who wish to blend instruction with entertainment, deriving advantage from both, will do well to recollect, that whateverDISORDERS(aliashumours) originate in plethora, fulness of the frame, and viscidity of the blood, must be subduedby repeatedBLEEDINGS, moderatePURGING, regular exercise, a great deal of stable discipline, (wisping, leg-rubbing, &c.) and, if necessary, a concluding course ofMILD DIURETICS. Disorders arising from a weak and impoverished state of the blood last described, must be counteracted by an extra addition of nutritive aliment, as mashes of ground malt and bran nightly, as well as the usual supplies of corn by day: an invigorating cordial ball daily should assist the intent; and a course ofANTIMONIAL ALTERATIVESbe lastly introduced, to give a new complexion to the property of the blood.
HUMBLES.—The articles so called are some of the internaltrimmingsobtained in breaking up aDEER, which are always a perquisite of the keeper.
.—The articles so called are some of the internaltrimmingsobtained in breaking up aDEER, which are always a perquisite of the keeper.
HUNTER.—A hunter, in its strictest implied signification with theSPORTING WORLD, is a horse or mare of superior description and qualifications, appropriated to no other purpose whatever than the enjoyment of the chase. As it is the highest ambition of everySPORTSMANto be in possession of aHUNTER, numbers are so called, who are by no means entitled to that distinction. Various opinions are entertained respecting the more minute properties of a horse destined to the particular purposes of the field, and this diversity can only be justified by an allusion to the kind of hounds with whom he is intended to hunt. Horses of an inferior description,cross bred, and without a point of perfection, or the property of speed, may be calledHUNTERSwithharriers; but prove mere roadsters, when brought into the field with eitherSTAGorFOX. One third of a century since, moderate horses were called hunters; and those aboutHALF BREDwent tolerably well up tomosthounds; but during the last twenty years, so great has been the rage for improving their speed, that in the present day, any horse mayfollowthe hounds; butBLOOD HORSESonly can go by the side of them.
.—A hunter, in its strictest implied signification with theSPORTING WORLD, is a horse or mare of superior description and qualifications, appropriated to no other purpose whatever than the enjoyment of the chase. As it is the highest ambition of everySPORTSMANto be in possession of aHUNTER, numbers are so called, who are by no means entitled to that distinction. Various opinions are entertained respecting the more minute properties of a horse destined to the particular purposes of the field, and this diversity can only be justified by an allusion to the kind of hounds with whom he is intended to hunt. Horses of an inferior description,cross bred, and without a point of perfection, or the property of speed, may be calledHUNTERSwithharriers; but prove mere roadsters, when brought into the field with eitherSTAGorFOX. One third of a century since, moderate horses were called hunters; and those aboutHALF BREDwent tolerably well up tomosthounds; but during the last twenty years, so great has been the rage for improving their speed, that in the present day, any horse mayfollowthe hounds; butBLOOD HORSESonly can go by the side of them.
The horses now denominatedHUNTERS, are mostly three parts and full bred; for the great number of blood horses not turning outWINNERS, as well as those not trained for the turf, come of course to the hunting stables, and keep up a constant supply. Under the headHORSE, three distinct kinds are mentioned generally, and the purposes to which they are assigned; but no particular description is made of aHUNTER, whose qualifications are properly reserved for this place. A hunter for constant use with fleet hounds, should be well bred on both sides; not less in age than five years old off; from fifteen hands and an inch, to fifteen three and sixteen hands, but not to exceed it: large and heavy horses, indeeporhillycountries, frequently tire themselves. To be handsome, he should be strong in the frame and formation, short in the joints, firm in his fetlocks, quick in the eye,and agile in action. He should have a light airy head, wide nostrils, prominent lively eye, slight curve in the crest, long in the neck, wide in the breast, deep in the chest, high in the withers, straight in the spine, short in the back, round in the barrel, full in the flank, (the last rib coming well up to the point of the hip-bone,) his loins wide, and rather circular than flat; the summit of the hind-quarters, between the fillets and the tail, should nearly form one section of an oval; the tail should be high, and well set on, in nearly a direct line from the back, and not in a drooping degree below the rump: there should be perceptible strength, uniformity and substance in the thighs, and a prominent muscular swell in the exterior of the gaskins; a great length from the hip-bone to the hock, short from thence to the fetlock, which should be nearly round, and well united; the pasterns rather short than long; fore-legs straight, and upright; hoofs, black, and of a strong firm texture; great courage, good temper, and pliability of disposition.
These are the rules by which thousands will admit aHUNTERshould be chosen; and they will also as readily admit, the very great difficulty with which horses of such description are to be obtained. However, as such an accumulation of perfections is so rarely to be found in the same object, the most emulous and judicious will be the more anxious tocome as near to such criterion as circumstances will permit; but as it is not to be expected the young, any more than the inexperienced, can retain the minutiæ of a description to which they have been so little accustomed, as well as recollecting the forceEXAMPLEis said to have beyondprecept, thePORTRAITof aHUNTERis introduced, who, for all the qualifications already described, was repeatedly in the field (with hisMajesty's stag hounds) honoured with the royal approbation. He was got byEclipse, dam byBlank, and possessed every requisite in the field to render himself an object of universal attraction: afterHUNTINGtwo seasons, andCOVERINGone, he was purchased, and taken to America asA STALLION.
Having explicitly laid down the rules by which a horse should be selected for the purpose particularly expressed, some farther hints become necessary for his general management, if a wish is entertained to preserve him in a state of purity; for it is well known, there cannot be a greater stigma annexed to the character of a professed sportsman, than his having aGOODhorse inbadcondition. The next great qualification toSPEEDandTEMPERin a hunter, is the property of leaping, bothstandingandflying; without those (in an enclosed country) his leading perfections are very much reduced in the estimation of the field: on the contrary, if he is in the full and unrestrained possession of these additional,and, indeed, indispensible requisites to complete and confirm his character, a purchaser may always be commanded at any price. One great error is generally prevalent in teaching horses toLEAP, by the young, petulant, and hasty, whenfirstthey are brought to theBAR, particularly in and round the Metropolis, where an assistant is frequently seen with awhipto expedite what cannot be proceeded upon with too much kindness and circumspection. Young horses driven to a bar with a whip, and oncealarmed, are sometimes prevented from becoming good standing leapers during their existence. Instances are very rare of well-bred horses being badFLYING LEAPERS, particularly with hounds; few,if any, have ever been seen willing to staybehindwhen the pack were before them; they of course require no other instructions, than what the experience of the field affords them. When horses are intended for the field, they should be brought and accustomed to the bar, previous to their being put upon their mettle, and flurried with hounds; when there, the bar should never be less than three feet from the ground; if lower, it only induces the horse to attempt it with one foot, as if to walk or scramble over it; and this is a bad habit to acquire: he should never be permitted to make an effort, till taught to rest entirely upon his haunches, and to raise slowly and gradually both his feet before at the same moment.
Nothing can be more contemptibly ridiculous, than the absurd practice of clothing theBARwithbushes of furze; and this is generally introduced, under the plausible pretence of making the horseclear his leap; although it is a fact, that almost every horse is terrified in approaching it; and when compelled to take it, or is ratherdriven over, it is in aJUMPoffearandagitation; not in a cool, temperate, and steady leap of safety, fit to qualify aHUNTERfor theFIELD. A horse can only be made a good standing leaper, by affording him ample time to measure his leap before he attempts it; that is, to observe its height, and take the space necessary for the bend of his knees, the contraction of his legs, and his own altitude to cover the leap with certainty; and this a well-taught horse, of tolerable temper, will generally do, if permitted to adopt his own plan, and use his own exertions: but if unnaturally hurried by the petulance, impatience, or inhumanity, of those about him,failure,injury, anddisgrace, frequently ensue. The proper covering for a leaping-bar should either be fern, or clean wheat straw, well secured by a strong packthread, bound transversely and longitudinally in a kind of net-work, (bracing equally every way,) which is not only exceedingly durable, but being composed of articles to which the horse is so accustomed, he naturally approaches it, if gently used, and patiently encouraged, without the least fear or agitation.
The proper stable discipline, and general management, of hunters, are so perfectly understood in the present state of equestrian emulation, and universal improvement, that a few experimental maxims only are required, as mementos to shield the young, inconsiderate, and unwary, from unthinkingly encountering various foundations of vexation, trouble, expence, and disappointment. Those of immense fortunes, and adequate establishments, are not so liable to this aggregate of ills, as those whose more humble and confined possessions restrain them within a much smaller sphere of gratification. To the latter, therefore, it is, such hints of utility are more particularly addressed and submitted, who not having the good fortune to be surrounded with a profusion of subordinates, by whom such offices are generally executed, feel the necessity, and enjoy the happy opportunity, of sometimes personally superintending their own concerns. The great exertions in respect to speed, labour, and durability, of which the well-bred hunter is so evidently capable, are almost beyond belief; and eminently entitle him to every adequate tenderness, care, and attention, that can be possibly bestowed in return. When it is within the compass of the reflecting mind, that an animal of this description is frequently most laboriously engaged for the whole of a dreary winter's day, encountering and surmounting difficulties in succession almost beyond description, (till in many instances nature is nearlyexhausted,) no doubt can arise, but the frame must sometimes stand in need of extra assistance upon such occasions.
Of this greater proof need not be adduced, than the deaths of horses which have recently happened, (particularly with the King's stag hounds,) some in the field, and many within a few days after different chases of singular severity; one instance of which is so truly remarkable, that it lays claim to record in the annals of sporting, to prevent its being buried in oblivion. TheDEERwas turned out atAscot Heath, and, after makingBagshot Park, crossed the whole of the heath country, to Sandhurst, through Finchamstead Woods, Barkham, Arborfield, Swallowfield, and the intervening country, to Tilehurst, below Reading in Berkshire, where he was taken unhurt after a chase ofFOUR HOURSandTWENTY MINUTES; horsemen beingthrown outin every part of the country through which they passed: one horse droptdeadin theFIELD; another, after the chase, before he could reach a stable; andsevenmore within theWEEK: of such speed, and almost unprecedented severity, was this run, thattiredhorses in great danger were unavoidably left at the different inns in the neighbourhood. A tolerable idea of the powers of an English hunter may, from this description, be formed by those who are not sportsmen, and have consequently a very imperfect conception of the task he has to perform;of which incredulityMons. Sainbel, professor of theVeterinary College, gave sufficient proof, treating the subject with the utmost indifference, very little short of contempt; declaring, "it was allchimerical, and that no horse could be found to continue a chase of that kindfour hoursin succession."
That such exertions may be continued till nature itself is totally exhausted, must be admitted beyond a doubt; but that they in general happen to horses by muchtoo slowfor theCHASE, and to those inimproper condition, is as clearly ascertained. The result of which facts clearly demonstrate the truth of observations previously made, and forcibly inculcate the indispensible necessity of selecting horses properly formed for the purpose; and as forcibly urge the propriety (indeed the safety) of getting them into condition for the field. When taken up from his summer's run at grass (which every perfect hunter is entitled to) he should go through his regular course of physic; the strength and number of doses to be regulated by the accumulated flesh, and general appearance of the horse: if in a fair, good, clean state, not loaded in substance, and perfectly clean in the skin, more thanTWOdoses may be superfluous; if labouring under a weight of flesh, flabby, and fluctuating under pressure, less thanTHREEwill prove insufficient; which should be preceded byBLEEDINGineither, according to the stateof the horse. During the operation of physic, the subject should undergo moderate exercise, and great friction in the stable; both which tend to remove and circulate the stagnant fluids, that they may be carried off by the evacuations. Great, regular and patient leg-rubbing is not only absolutely necessary at all times, but more particularly during physic; it braces the solids, and preserves them in a proper state of elasticity; for want of which, they frequently acquire a degree of flaccidity; the legs swell, and, if brought into worktoo soon, continue in that state,moreorless, during the season.
After the chase (during the dressing in the stable) observation should be made whether injury of any kind has been sustained during the day; either by the heat and friction or pressure of the saddle, the loss of a shoe, stubs, treads, over-reaches, bruises, or lameness of any kind; for any of these once discovered, the necessary remedy should be immediately applied; as it not unfrequently happens, that what in the first instance would only prove a slight or trivial grievance, continues to increase in proportion to the delay in discovery. Horses evidently distrest and fatigued with the labour of the day, displaying lassitude, bodily debility, and loss of appetite, should be nicely attended to; a cordial ball becomes more applicable and useful at this time than any other; frequent supplies of water, with the chill off, in moderate quantities, shouldnever be neglected; every horse is invariably thirsty after ahard day; and many will take repeated supplies of water, and plenty of hay, when they will eat no corn; in which case, a good warm mash, ofGROUND MALTandBRAN, is an excellent invigorating substitute, and in many of the best managed establishments isneveromitted (particularly with tender, delicate, or violent tempered horses) after alongorrainyday, as a preventive toCOLD, as well as toDISEASE.
Hunters, after long and severe chases, should not be broughttoo sooninto similar exertions; numbers are crippled, broke down, and irrecoverably ruined, for want of a little precautionary patience: brought into the field too early, with a stiff rigidity in the limbs, and without the wonted pliability in the joints, the spirits, as well as the frame, become affected by a consciousness of the deficiency; and theRIDER, upon making the discovery, moves in little lessmiserythan theHORSE, who, feeling his temporary imperfection, seems in fear of falling at every stroke. A horse is best recovered from the visible effect of over fatigue, by a great deal of patient walking, exercise upon the turf, and equally patient friction in the stable: no horse perceptibly affected inFRAMEorSPIRITS, by long days or severe chases, should be brought into exerciseGALLOPS, till every degree ofstiffnessis previously worn away, and obliterated in gentlemotion, of which they are the first to make discovery, by a renovation of strength and action. It is in many hunting stables an invariable practice, upon the appearance ofLAMENESS, to bleed and follow up that with a dose of physic, exclusive of whatever local applications it may be thought necessary to make to the part affected; and this, it must be acknowledged, is very frequently attended with the most salutary effects: naturally, however, leading the mind of scientific investigation to believe, much of the advantage may be derived from the rest obtained during the course, as from the operation of the medicine.
HUNTING,—in its general sense, implies the pleasure of theSPORTatLARGE, without specifying anyparticular kindofCHASE; of which there are three, and equally well known under the different distinctions ofSTAG-HUNTING,FOX-HUNTING, andHARE-HUNTING. A minor kind of sport, calledOTTER HUNTING, might formerly have been said to constitute afourth; but it is at present so little known, (and much less practised,) that, likeHAWKING, it seems nearly buried in oblivion, and promises very little prospect of sporting resurrection.
,—in its general sense, implies the pleasure of theSPORTatLARGE, without specifying anyparticular kindofCHASE; of which there are three, and equally well known under the different distinctions ofSTAG-HUNTING,FOX-HUNTING, andHARE-HUNTING. A minor kind of sport, calledOTTER HUNTING, might formerly have been said to constitute afourth; but it is at present so little known, (and much less practised,) that, likeHAWKING, it seems nearly buried in oblivion, and promises very little prospect of sporting resurrection.
Huntingis the pursuit of any species ofGAME(or vermin) with a collected body ofHOUNDS, sportingly termed aPACK; who, bred for, and broke to, the chase,FINDandHUNTthe particular sort towhich they are appropriated byscent,drag, ortrail, till it escapes by theARTS,WILES, andSAGACITY, with which it is gifted byNATURE; or, being exhausted, fallsa victimto the persevering patience, indefatigable exertions, and instinctive impulse, of theHOUNDS. This sport, in its different degrees, is of very great antiquity, and has been enjoyed, through successive centuries, with gradational improvements; but at no former period has it ever approached its present zenith of unparalleled perfection. Some few reigns past, the enjoyment was considered so truly extatic, that it was engrossed entirely by theNOBLESand superior orders, to the entire exclusion of the people at large, who were then so much in a state of vassalage, as to be held unworthy the participation of so rich a gratification, under the most rigid proscription that legislative and feudalLAWScould frame, or unqualifiedTYRANNYadopt. Not so in the happy melioration of the present age, when every blessing, every privilege, and every comfort of life, is equally enjoyed from theHIGHESTto thelowest, according to the possessions of every individual; under such necessary and indispensible restrictions, as it may have been found, by the Legislature, prudent to adopt, for the preservation ofORDER, and promotion ofPUBLIC GOOD.
Nothing can more clearly demonstrate the attracting power, and exhilarating effects, of theCHASE, than the enthusiastic rapture with which it is enjoyed, and the constantly increasing number of its implicit devotees. Cynical opponents will always continue to be generated, inveterately averse to every pleasure, however sublime or select, that is not immediately congenial to their own sensations; and will with avidity declare perpetual war against any gratification, or enjoyment, in which they are not eventually interested, or personally concerned. The bewilderedPOLITICIAN, who erroneously suspends thebalanceofpowerin his own disordered imagination; thePEDANTICbook-worm, who derivesself-consequencefrom his closet; theMISER, who wraps himself up in thesolitaryconsolation of hiscanvas comforts; and thosePRIGSofpuppyism(byShakespearebetter denominated "poppinjays") who exist only in their own personal ambition, and the reflection from the silvered glass, naturally decry pleasures, in which, from the innate sterility, and instinctive apathy, of their own souls, they feel no disposition to engage.Loversof theCHASE, who, for time immemorial, have been better known and distinguished by the appellation ofSPORTSMEN, are almost proverbial for their mutual offices of civility and friendship; no class of men enter more into the openness and glowing warmth of unsuspecting society, the genial inspiration ofPHILANTHROPY, and the infinite inexpressible extent of unsulliedHOSPITALITY.
Hunting, in respect to the enjoyment, as well as the description of eachparticularkind ofCHASE, will be found under their distinct heads of "Hare-Hunting," "Fox-Hunting," and "Stag-Hunting;" leaving nothing for introduction here, but such general remarks, and salutary inculcations, as appertain solely to the systematic concerns of the field. The prudent sportsman is invariably the guardian of his own safety; for, however he may rely upon the attachment and punctuality of an old or faithful servant, he never declines the service of his own faculties, so long as he can derive advantage from their evident utility. He therefore never mounts his horse, however great his haste, however late his hour, without taking a slight (but sufficient) survey of his apparatus: he feels it a duty to himself to observe, and be convinced, that hisSADDLEis not fixed in an improper place, but literally in the centre, equally free from thewithersas from thehip-bones; that hisGIRTHSare not only judiciouslytightened, but that the buckles extend on each sideabovethePAD, as well as that theSTIRRUP-LEATHERSare in too good a state to hazard a chance of theirbreaking; whenever which happens, in the veryheatof theCHASE, great danger (if not an accident) certainly ensues.
Thus safely seated, in the full confidence of his own prudent precaution, he never suffers himself, by the persuasions of the weak or inconsiderate, tobe diverted from his invariable purpose of proceedingSLOWLYto the place of meeting, or throwing off theHOUNDS; he well knows, not only the manly propriety, but the sporting necessity, of letting a horse unload the carcase before he is brought into brisk action or strong exertion. Upon joining company in the field, he enters into little or no conversation beyond the friendly salutations of the morning; experimentally knowing, thefrivolitiessported upon such occasions, by the young, the confident, and the inexperienced, are only calculated to excite thesilent cursesof theHUNTSMAN, and the contempt of the company, by attracting the attention of theHOUNDS. The judicious sportsman, whether the hounds aredrawingorRUNNING, is never seen in a place to incur disgrace, byheadingtheGAME, orobstructingtheHOUNDS; it is a business in which he is a proficient, and he is never at a loss in the execution. From an instinctive attachment to the sport, and an implicit observance of custom, he is totally insensible to thelessattentive part of the company, but "tremblingly alive" to everytongueof aHOUND. Not awhimper, achallenge, orhit, but vibrates upon his anxious ear; and his whole soul seems absorbed in the eager hope of transmitting the enlivening signal ofA VIEWto his distant friends, in equal expectation.
TheCHASEthus commenced, he lays as well in with the hounds as the speed of his horse, and the contingencies of the country, will permit; he stands upon no paltry ceremony with, or servile subservience to, local superiors; this alone is the happy spot where all are equal, where personal pride can assume no consequence, dignity can claim no precedence, and an immensity of property is of no avail. Ever attentive to the sport, he ruminates upon no other object than the object of pursuit: his mind is eternally intent upon theGAME, or theleading hound; the latter of which he makes it a point never tolose sight of, unless byCOVERTobscured from his view; when, with the advantage of theWIND, (which he is sure to avail himself of,) and that unerring directory theEAR, he isseldomfar from the hounds, oreverthrown out. In every chase there are plenty ofslow goersbehind, who, prompted byENVY, are never wanting in the vociferous exclamation of, "Hold hard!" without knowing why; and from no other motive, than not being themselves at theheadofthe hounds. To these clamours he pays not the least attention, if having viewed either theGAME, or theleadinghound, and observed the chase going on without interruption; experimentally convinced, those who are the mostforward, must best know the state of theSCENTby thecheck, or breast-high running of the hounds.
As there is so frequently a jealous clamour about being tooforward, the zealous sportsman will never condescend to be too farbehind. He knows his place, and he keeps it. He is never seen in thebodyandbustleof thecrowd, riding in a direct line with, and pressing upon, theHEELSof theHOUNDS, but parallel with the lasttwoorthreecouple of thePACK; where his horse is not only enabled to keep his ground with ease, but the rider enjoys the advantage of observing most minutely every winding of the chase, as well as the various struggles, and enchanting emulative efforts, of theLEADING HOUNDS. In this situation he is sure of seeing where theythrow up, and knows to a certainty how far they have carried theSCENT; consequently those only who areFORWARD, and know the state of the chase, are properlyQUALIFIEDto give the signal of "Hold hard!" to thosebehind; and not, as is too commonly the case, for those behind to transmit the petulant exclamation to those before. The moment hounds are at fault, he invariably keeps a proper distance, that they may not be obstructed in makingtheir casts, or get interspersed amongst thelegsof theHORSES. Upon ahitbeing made, he attends to the hound who made it, and, upon a recovery of theSCENT, goes instantaneously on with the chase; for a loss of ground at so critical a moment, he well knows it is sometimes difficult to regain.
Notwithstanding his enthusiastic attachment to the sport, thesafetyof hisHORSEpreponderates over every other consideration; and this inflexible determination is supported by a few invariable rules, which are never broken in upon under any plea, persuasion, or perversion, whatever. No temptation can induce him to deviate from a plan so prudently adopted, and persevered in with such laudable resolution. He is never seen to enter into thespiritofracingduring theCHASE, thereby distressing his horse, and wasting the strength that may be found necessary before the conclusion of along day: he scorns the idea of takinghighorlargeleaps when they are truly unnecessary, merely to attract attention, or display his ownVALOUR, well knowing, "the better part of valour is discretion." He regulates the speed of his horse by the nature of the country he is engaged to go over, and is never known to ridehardestin thedeepestground. Experience, and attentive observation, having long before convinced him, that whatever distance may have been unavoidably lost under temporary obstacles, may with less difficulty be recovered when the horse'sWIND(as well as his strength) is preserved, till he can go more at his ease. Whatever may have been the fate of the day, and whatever thelengthof theCHASE, it is no sooner concluded, than the same steady and cool deliberation with which he started in the morning accompanies him home: no rash or juvenile example induces him toreduce the estimation of hisHUNTERto the standard of apost-horse; superior to the instability, and impatient impetuosity, of the majority, he neitherTROTSwithone, orGALLOPSwith theother; but, regardless of the distance, humanely walks his horse to the place of his destination, where hesees, orknows, he undergoes the attentive comforts so fully described under the last head.
HUNTING-CAP—is a cap made of leather, and covered with black velvet, fitting close to the head behind, and having a semicircular peak before, for the protection of the face in case of falls, as well as in passing through strong coverts during the chase. In the sporting world it is termedA DASHER, and is supposed to confirm a generally received opinion, that the wearer never swerves from any difficulty that may occur, or refuses anyLEAPin the field, but takes them allin stroke.
—is a cap made of leather, and covered with black velvet, fitting close to the head behind, and having a semicircular peak before, for the protection of the face in case of falls, as well as in passing through strong coverts during the chase. In the sporting world it is termedA DASHER, and is supposed to confirm a generally received opinion, that the wearer never swerves from any difficulty that may occur, or refuses anyLEAPin the field, but takes them allin stroke.
HUNTING-WHIP.—The whip so called, is of different lengths in the handle or stock; having at one end a long thong and lash, to assist occasionally in managing the hounds; and at the other, aHOOK,HAMMER, orCLAW, for the purpose of holding or opening gates.
.—The whip so called, is of different lengths in the handle or stock; having at one end a long thong and lash, to assist occasionally in managing the hounds; and at the other, aHOOK,HAMMER, orCLAW, for the purpose of holding or opening gates.
HUNTSMAN.—The huntsman is a person whose entire business it is to superintend every department of a hunting establishment, as well as tohunt the hounds. As it is an office of considerable trust and responsibility, so it requires no inconsiderable share of those qualifications which constitute some part of the approach to human perfection. It is indispensibly necessary he should be possessed of a comprehensive mind, a clear head, and humane heart; of affable and easy manners; not prone to peevish petulance, or rude brutality. He should be of consistent sobriety, ready observation, quick conception, great personal fortitude, patience, and activity; have a good constitution, an excellent ear, and a sonorous voice. As, however, it may not be inapplicable to have the necessary qualifications more forcibly depicted from the very words of the best experimental authority extant, the opinion ofMr. Beckfordis literally introduced, who says,
.—The huntsman is a person whose entire business it is to superintend every department of a hunting establishment, as well as tohunt the hounds. As it is an office of considerable trust and responsibility, so it requires no inconsiderable share of those qualifications which constitute some part of the approach to human perfection. It is indispensibly necessary he should be possessed of a comprehensive mind, a clear head, and humane heart; of affable and easy manners; not prone to peevish petulance, or rude brutality. He should be of consistent sobriety, ready observation, quick conception, great personal fortitude, patience, and activity; have a good constitution, an excellent ear, and a sonorous voice. As, however, it may not be inapplicable to have the necessary qualifications more forcibly depicted from the very words of the best experimental authority extant, the opinion ofMr. Beckfordis literally introduced, who says,
"I will endeavour to describe what a good huntsman should be. He should be young, strong, active, bold, and enterprising; fond of the diversion, and indefatigable in the pursuit of it: he should be sensible and good-tempered: he ought also to be sober, exact, civil, and cleanly: he should be a good groom, and an excellent horseman: his voice should be strong and clear; and he should have an eye so quick, as to perceive which of his hounds carries the scent when all are running; and should have so excellent an ear, as always to distinguish the foremost hounds when he does notsee them. He should be quiet, patient, and without conceit. Such are the excellencies which constitute a good huntsman. He should not, however, be too fond of displaying them, till necessity calls them forth. He should let his hounds alone, whilst theycan hunt; and he should have genius to assist them,when they cannot."
Although the qualifications of aHUNTSMAN, upon the great scale of universality, should be precisely the same, yet there is an infinite contrast in the various points of execution. No distinct difference oflightandshadeupon theCANVAS, no effect of theELEMENTSupon thehuman frame, can be productive of more opposite sensations, than the requisites necessary to form a proper distinction between the modes of huntingHAREorFOX; for the very means calculated for the successful promotion of the one, would in a few minutes prove the evident destruction of the other: from which it is natural to infer, that a huntsman eminently qualified to hunteither, would never be likely to acquireCELEBRITYfor huntingboth; for as the accustomed spirit, speed, and dashing impetuosity, of theFOX-HUNTERwould soon lose aHARE, so the philosophic patience, and constitutional tardiness, of theHARE-HUNTERwould never kill aFOX.
Of this, corroborative proof may be adduced in a subsequent passage from the before-mentionedAUTHOR, where he observes, "It may be necessary to unsay, now that I am turned hare-hunter again, many things I have been saying as a fox-hunter; as I hardly know any two things of the same genus (if I may be allowed the expression) that differ so entirely. What I said, in a former letter, about the huntsman and whipper-in, is in the number. As to the huntsman, he should not be young; I should most certainly prefer one, as the French call it,d'une certain age, as he is to be quiet and patient: for patience he should be a very grizzle; and the more quiet he is, the better. He should have infinite perseverance; for a hare should never be given up whilst it is possible to hunt her: she is sure to stop, and therefore may always be recovered. Were it usual to attend to the breed of our huntsmen, as well as to that of our hounds, I know no family that would furnish a better cross than that of thesilent gentlemanmentioned by the Spectator: a female of his line, crossed with a knowing huntsman, would probably produce a perfect hare-hunter."
Thescentof theSTAG, theFOX, and theHARE, is so exceedingly different in the duration ofeach, that it requires a method as proportionally different in the pursuit ofeither; all which is practically known to huntsmen, who have no alternative, but to render their endeavours applicable to the kind of chase they are destined to pursue. The scent oftheFOXis well known to be the most powerful, as well as the mostvolatile, of any; the scent of theSTAGis equallygratefulto hounds, but is known to evaporate sooner than the scent of theHARE. In the two first, clamorous exultationupon view, is more customary, and more to be justified, than in the latter.StagorFOXbreaks away with the most undaunted fortitude, seeking safety in a rapidity of flight to even a distant and unknown country; in both which the hounds cannot be too fleet; nor can they be laid ontoo closeto theGAME; both deer and fox run the better for it. Not so with the latter; where a general silence should prevail, and the industrious endeavours of the pack should never be obstructed by the busy tongues of officious obtruders; and upon this well-founded position, if they receive no assistance, they encounter no interruption.Harriers(as well as their huntsman) should never be permitted to huntFOX: the strong scent which he leaves, the difference of his running, the indescribable eagerness and noise of the pursuit, all contribute to spoil a harrier, and render no service to the huntsman when they return toHAREagain. It is a very prevalent error of the present time, to have bred and crossed harriers to too much speed: the hare is but a mere inoffensive, timid animal, and fully entitled to all the little artifices she can avail herself of to shield her from destruction.