Somehow hunters go better for a woman than for a man. Perhaps it is because a woman’s hands are
lighter, either from ignorance or knowledge, or perhaps it is because a woman is not so insistent and is less domineering. It is always better to let the hunter jump than to jump the hunter.
Ordinarily a good hunter may be hunted at least twice in a week, but so much depends on the country, on the rider herself—to say nothing of the horse—that one cannot lay down any rule in regard to this. Between the hunts, unless after an unusually stiff run, a hunter may be larked a bit, or driven to a light trap, or walked for an hour or two. This will ordinarily keep him in better condition than letting him stand in the stable. In fact, in my own experience, I have known hunters that were hunted one day and driven to market the next, and the market I have in mind was not at all near home. Many heavy-weight hunters are driven from time to time in the wheel, and light-weight hunters in the lead, both of a four and tandem. Indeed, the leader of a tandem was originally a hunter. So that a hunter may be a useful horse in the stable.
If one has a thoroughly reliable and seasoned hunter well up to one’s weight, he ought to be able, barring accidents, to carry one through the season, unless one is attempting to hunt more than twice a week, and there are few women in this country who are strong enough to do that.
Correct Hunting Costume
Note the way the thong is carried
In chapter VIII I have indicated the costume for the hunting-field, but for convenience I will restate it here. The correct appointments for the side-saddle are:
Breeches of either dog-skin or buckskin or white cloth or of the same material as the habit.
The habit should be very dark gray, almost black, hunting cloth. The collar should be of the colors of one’s hunt.
The buttons should be black, with the name, design, or monogram of the hunt in white or gold. The correct coat is made without a seam in the middle of the back and with two vents at the side instead of one in the middle, and is somewhat shorter than the habit coat that many women wear. It may be made with five or three buttons, according to the wearer’s fancy, but preferably with five.