Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1886 — JUMPING HIGH FENCES. [ARTICLE]

JUMPING HIGH FENCES.

Tlie Pleasures of Killing to Hounds Across Country—A Tale of Tumbles. After one meet at Sagartiore diill, says Theodore Roosevelt in an article on riding to hounds in the Century, I had the curiosity to go on foot over the course we had taken/ measuring the jumps; for it pts very difficult to form a good estimate of a fence’s height when in the held, and five feet of timber seems a much easier thing to take when sitting around the fire after dinner than it does when actually faced while the hounds are running. On this particular hunt in question we ran about ten miles, at a rattling pace, with only two checks, crossing somewhat more than sixty fences, most of them post-and-rails, stiff as steel, the others being of the kind called “Virginia” or “snake” and not more than ten or a dozen in the whole lot und<er four feet in height. The highest measured five feet and half an inch, two others were four feet eleven, and nearly a third of the number averaged about four and a half. There were also several rather awkward doubles. When the hounds were cast off some forty riders were present, but the first fence was a savage one and stopped all who did not mean genuine hard going. Twentysix horses crossed it, one of them ridden by a lady. A mile or so further on, before there had been a chance for much tailing, we came to a five-bar gate out of a road—a jump of just four feet five inches from the take-ofi'. Up to this, of course, we went at one time, at a trot or handgallop, and twenty-five horses cleared it in succession without a single refusal and with but one mistake; which speaks pretty well for the mounts we were riding. Owing to the severity of the pace, combined with the average height of the timber, although no one fence was of especially noteworthy proportions, good many falls took place, resulting in an unusually large percentage of accidents. The master partly dislocated one knee, another man broke two ribs, and another—the present writer—broke his arm. However, almost all of us managed to struggle through to the end in time to see the death; and as the score of battered riders turned their horses’ heads homeward I could not help thinking that we looked a good deal as if we had been taking part in some feat of arms as gentle and joyous as that of Ashby-de-la-Zouche. But it would be very unfair to think the sport especially dangerous on Account of the occasional accidents that happen. A man who is fond of riding, but who sets a good deal of value, either for the sake of himself, his or his business, upon his neck and limbs, can hunt with almost perfect safety if he gets a quiet horse, a safe fencer, and does not try to stay in the front rank. Most accidents occur to men on green or wild horses, or else to those who keep up in front only at the expense of pumping their mounts; and a fall with a done-out beast is always peculiarly disagreeable. Most falls, however, do no harm whatever to either horse or rider, and after they have picked themselves up and shaken themselves, the couple ought to be able to go on just as well as ever.