ing in one's heart. "Scrutator" in his interesting
book, _Foxhunting_, says he "never could find any pleasure in riding
strange horses. They neither understand your way of doing business, nor
you theirs, so there must of necessity be doubts and drawbacks until
both become more intimately acquainted." I have seen so many bad
accidents happen to men who were riding hired hunters, that I cannot too
strongly impress on my readers the necessity of letting caution mark the
guarded way, by testing a strange mount at small fences to see how he
shapes, before taking unwise risks. Last season, a young man who was
hunting with the Pytchley on a hireling came a cropper at the first
fence, staked his mount and got a kick in the head. He was greatly
distressed about the poor horse which the dealer had assured him could
"jump anything," a feat that no hunter in the world can perform. An
accident of this kind with a hired hunter is a most unpleasant
occurrence; because, if the bruised and mud-stained horseman happens to
be a stranger to the dealer, the latter will naturally blame his riding,
while the injured one who has to break the news as gently as possible,
will consider that he has been misled concerning the animal's jumping
capabilities. Jorrocks's advice, "know your horse," should be engraved
in capital letters on the heart of everyone who hunts, as its observance
would prevent many distressing accidents both to humans and equines.

FARMERS AND WIRE.

There is very little wire in Leicestershire, though it is far too common
in other parts of the Shires. Fences where the warning red board (Fig.
136) or red rag (Fig. 137) is seen, should be avoided, as these signals
denote the presence of wire. As these death-traps bear no warning notice
in some places (Fig. 138), it behoves people hunting in such countries
to keep a sharp look-out for unmarked wire and iron hurdles (Fig. 139).

[Illustration: Fig. 136.--Wire board.]

Some farmers appear to use wire in an unnecessary manner. For instance,
placing it on the top of a gate (Fig. 140) seems to have no _raison
d'etre_, except to hurt unfortunate hunters which in breasting such a
gate to push it open, are apt to get badly pricked and run suddenly back
to avoid it, with the possible result of injury to both horses and
riders behind them. Also, I have seen wire put up in fields in which
there were no cattle, and removed after the hunting season, to duly
appear again in the following o