The gentleman's recreation in four parts, viz. hunting, hawking, fowling, fishing : wherein these generous exercises are largely treated of, and the terms of art for hunting and hawking more amply enlarged than heretofore : whereto is prefixt a large sculpture, giving easie directions for blowing the horn, and other sculptures inserted proper to each recreation : with an abstract at the end of each subject of such laws as relate to the same.

CHAP. VII. Of making a Hunting-Match, its advan∣tages and disadvantages. (Book 7)

SInce many Persons of Honour delight in good Horses, both for Hunters as well as Gallopers, it may not be improper to speak a word in this place concerning the Advantages or Disadvantages which happen in making of Hunting-Matches; since he that proceeds cautiously and upon truegrounds in match∣ing his Horse is already in a great measure sure of gaining the Prize, at least if the Proverb be true, that a Match well made is half won.

The first thing to be consider'd by him that designs to match his Horse, for his own advantage and his Horses credit, is this; That he do not flatter himself in the opinion of his Horse, by fancying that he is swifter than the wind, when he is but a slow Galloper; and that he is whole-running, (that is, will run four miles without a sobb at the height of his speed) when he is not able to run a mile.

And the ground of this Error I suppose arises from a Gentleman's being mistaken in the speed of his Hounds, who for want of Tryal against other Dogs that have been really fleet, has suppos'd his own to be swist, when in reality they were but of middle speed; and because his Horse (when trained) was able to follow them all day, and at any hour to command them upon, deep as well as light Earths, has therefore

falsly concluded him to be swift as the best; but upon tryal against a Horse that has been rightly train'd after Hounds that were truly fleet, has to his cost bought his Experience, and been convinc'd of his Error.

Therefore I would perswade all Lovers of Hunters to get two or three Couple of try'd Hounds, and once or twice a week to follow after them a Train-scent; and when he is able to top them on all sorts of Earth, and to endure Heats and Colds stoutly, then he may the better relie on his Speed and Toughness.

That Horse which is able to ride a Hare-chase of five or six miles briskly, and with good courage, till his body be as it were bath'd in sweat; and then upon the death of the Hare, in a nipping frosty morning can endure to stand still, till the sweat be frozen on his back, so that the cold may pierce him as well as the heat; and then even in that extremity of Cold to ride another Chase, as briskly and with as much cou∣rage, as he did in the former: That Horse which can thus endure heats and colds oftenest is of most value amongst Sports-men. And indeed tis not every Horse that is able to endure such extraordinary Toyl; and I my self have seen very brave Horses to the Eye, that have rid the first Chase to admiration, that when the Cold had struck to them, and they began to grow stiff, have flagg'd the second, and given quite out the third Heat.

Therefore to make a judgment of the goodness of your own Horse, observe him after the death of the first Hare, if the Chase has been any thing brisk; if when he is cold, he shrinks up his Body, and draws his Legs up together, tis an infallible token of want of Courage; and the same you may collect from the slackning of his Girths after the first Chase, and from

the setting of his Teeth, and the dulness of his Counte∣nance; all which are true marks of Faintness, and Tyring: and therefore there is no reliance on such a Horse, in case of a Wager.

But if on the contrary, you are Master of a Horse (not only in your own judgment, but in the opinion of knowing Horsemen) that is approv'd for Speed, and Toughness, and you are desirous to match him, or other∣wise to run for a 'Plate; I will to the best of my power tell you the advantages that are to be gain'd in Matching.

But before I enter upon the subject propos'd, I think it convenient to tell you the way our Ancestors had of making their Matches, and our modern way of deciding Wagers. First then the old way of Tryal was by running so many Train-scents after Hounds, as was agreed on between the parties concern'd and a Bell-Court, this being found not so uncertain and more durable than Hare-hunting, and the advantage consisted in having the Trains led on Earth most sui∣table to the nature of the Horses. Now others chose to hunt the Hare till such an hour prefix'd, and then to run the Wild-goose-Chase, which, because it is not known to all Huntsmen, I shall explain the use and manner of it

The Wildgoose Chase received its Name from the manner of the flight which is made by Wildgeese, which is generally one after another: so the two Hor∣ses after the running of Twelvescore Yards, had li∣berty, which Horse soever could get the leading, to ride what ground he pleas'd; the hindmost Horse be∣ing bound to follow him, within a certain distance a∣greed on by Articles, or else to be whipt up by the Triers or Judges which rode by, and which ever Horse could distance the other won the Match.

But this Chase was found by Experience so inhu∣mane, aud so destructive to good Horses, especially when two good Horses were match'd; for neither being able to distance the other, till ready both to sink under their Riders through Weakness, oftentimes the Match was fain to be drawn, and left undecided, tho both the Horses were quite spoyl'd.

This brought them to run Trainscents, which af∣terwards was chang'd to three Heats, and a straight Course; and that the Lovers of Hunting-horses might be encourag'd to keep good Ones, Plates have been erected in many places of this Land, purposely for Hunters, and some their Articles exclude all others, (namely Gallopers) from Running.

But whether you design to match your Horse a∣gainst any One Horse in particular, or to put him in for a Plate, where he must run against all that come in general; yet tis necessary that you know the nature and disposition of your Horse, before you venture any wager on his head; that is to say, whether he be hot and fiery, or cool and temperate in Riding; whether he be very swift, but not hard at bottom, or slow, but yet sure, and one that will stick at mark; on what sort of Earths he most delights to gallop on, whether to climb or run down hills, or else to skelp on a Flat; whether to run on deep, or light Grounds; whether on rack-ways, or Carpet-ground; whether amongst Mole-hills, or on Meadow ground; whether he be well-winded, or thick wind∣ed, so that tho he will answer a Spur, and mend up∣on Lapping, yet he must have ease by Sobs. All these things must be known, to the end that you may draw those advantages from them which may be offer'd in matching; as this for Example.

If your Horse be hot and fiery, tis odds but he is fleet withall (for generally those Horses are so) and and delights to run upon light and hard flats; and must be held hard by the Rider that he may have time to recover Wind by Sobbs; or else his Fury will choak him. But whereas it is the general opinion that nothing that is violent can be lasting; and there∣fore that it is impossible that such hot mettled Hor∣ses can be tough and hard at bottom. this I conceive may be but a popular Errour; for I have some∣times seen by Art those two Qualities reconciled, at least so far, as to make the most Fiery Horse managa∣ble, and to endure both Whip and Spur; and then tho he should not prove at bottom so truly tough as the craving Drudge, yet by his Riders management his Speed shall answer it in all points and serve in its stead; But to return to my Subject..

The best way to Match such a Horse is to agree to run Train-scents and the fewer the better for you, before you come to the Course: Also in these Train-scents the shorter you make your distance the better: and above all things be sure agree to have the leading of the first Trayn, and then making choice of such grounds as your Horse may best shew his Speed, and the Flectest Doggs you can procure, give your Hounds as much Law before you, as your Tryers will allow, and then making a loose try to win the Match with a Wind; but if you faile in this attempt then Beare your Horse, and save him for the Course at last.

But if your Horse be slow, yet well Winded, and a true Spurr'd Nagg; then the more Trainscents you run before you come to run the straight Course the better. Observing here too, to gain the leading of the first Train, which in this case you must lead it upon such deep Earths that it may not end near any light Ground. For this is the Rule received among

Horsemen that the next Train is to begin where the last ends, and the last train is to be ended at the start∣ing Post of the Course. Therefore observe to end your last on deep Earths as well as the first.

In the next place have a care of making a Match of a suddain, and in Drink, for fear least you repent when you are Sober. Neither make a match against a Horse, which you do not know, without first con∣sulting some skilfull or trusty Friend, on whose Judg∣ment and Honesty you can safely rely, and who is able to give a good Account of your Adversaries Hor∣se's Speed and his manner of Riding; and if you find him any ways correspondent to your own in speed or goodness be not too Peremptory to venture, but upon some reasonable probabilities of Winning: for tis neither Braggs nor Fancy that will make your Horse run one jot the better, or your Adversarys the worse: and remember this, that there is no Horse so good, but there may be another as good; and then if you proceed on good Grounds, and true Judgment, you may be the bolder to go on, and stand to your Match, notwithstanding the opinion of other men may be against you.

One material Advise I had like to have forgot and that is this; be sure at no time give advantage of Weight, for you will find the inconvenience of it at the latter end of the Day: for tho a Horse seel it not when he is fresh, yet it will sink him very much when he grows weak a Horse-length lost by odds of Weight in the first Train, may prove a distance in the streight Course at last; sor the Weight is the same every Heat tho his strength be not.

But if on the other side you gain any advantage of Weight, article that the Horseman shall ride so much weight as you are agreed on, besides the Saddle, for by this means the Rider (if he be not weight of

him self) must carry the dead weight somewhere a∣bout him, which will be troublesome to the Rider as well as the Horse; and the more to the latter, since tis more remote from his Back then if it were in the Saddle, and by consequence will more disorder his stroke if the Rider incline to either side then if it were nearer the Center; as you may see by a pair of Scales, where if the Pin be not placed exactly in the midst of the Beam, the longest part (as being most distant from the Center) will be the heaviest.

Now as to the time that you take for dyeting, that must be according to the Nature of your Horse, and the present state of Body he is in; for tho he may be clean enough for ordinary Hunting, yet he may be far distant from that perfect State of Body, that is required in a Match, and to keep him in such strict Dyet all the Season, (except on such extraordinary Occasions) would be an unnecessary Expence.

As to your Horses Disposition for Running, you must know it by use and Observation, for in this Point Horses very much differ, for some run best when they are high in case, others when they are in middle Condition of Flesh, and some again when they appear to the Eye Poor, and Low in Flesh; there fore according to your Horses Nature, and the time required to bring him into his best State, you must order your day for the tryal of your Match to be.

But if you design to put him in for some Hunting Plate; there neither the choice of your Ground, the Weight, nor the Horses you are to run against are at your disposal, but you must take them as you find them; only the time for bringing your Horse into a good Condition is at your own discretion, since you may begin as soon or as late as you please to keep him in strict Dyet, the time for all Plates being usually fixt, and annually the same.