therwise occupied. To people who have had much practice in
riding various horses, this forward outlook becomes almost automatic.

I would advise my imaginary pupil to learn the following ancient rhyme
by heart, and to observe its teaching, although it is not entirely
applicable to ladies--

"Your head and your heart keep boldly up,
Your hands and your heels keep down,
Your knees keep close to your horse's sides
And your elbows close to your own."

CHAPTER XI.

RIDING ACROSS COUNTRY.

"Made" fences--Practice over natural fences.

"MADE" FENCES.

It is necessary for a lady who intends to hunt, to obtain as much
practice as possible over the various kinds of fences which she may have
to negotiate when hunting, before she appears in the field. Although
ladies living in the country may have an opportunity of obtaining
practice over natural fences of gradually increasing size, it is
generally more convenient, and perhaps safer, to utilise "made" fences
in a field or paddock. These obstacles need not be very high to commence
with, but they should assume various forms, due prominence being given
to the most common kind of fence encountered in the country in which the
rider desires to hunt. Two or more specimens of this particular obstacle
may be included in the artificial collection. To imitate Leicestershire
fences we may make, for the first jump, the nearest approach we can to
an ordinary hedge; the second, a hedge with a ditch on the taking-off
side; the third, a post and rail fence; and the fourth, another hedge,
with a ditch on both sides. We may follow that with a "cut-and-laid"
fence with a ditch on the take-off side; and a stone wall, made up of
loose stones or bricks. In the middle of the field, where the rider can
obtain a good run at it, we may construct a water jump. The other fences
should be built by the side of the boundary fence of the paddock or
field, which may have to be artificially heightened for the purpose, but
not supplied with wings; for in hunting, fences are not protected for us
in that way. The pupil should first learn to jump them riding from left
to right, as horses generally refuse to the left, and that side being
blocked by the boundary fence, the horse will be more liable to go
straight. The animal should, of course, first be ridden over them by the
teacher in the presence of the pupil, who will see exactly at which jump
her mount may be likely to give troubl