RIDING AND HUNTING.
Riding and Hunting. By Captain M. Horace Hayes, F.R.C.V.S. (flurst and Blackett. 16s.)—No book which Captain Hayes writes con horses needs much recommendation from us, for he has made himself a reputation as a thorough master of his subject. He is no doubt the greatest authority both on horses and horse- manship now living in this country. Everything which he writes is lucidly expressed, and no detail is too trivial to be explainod. The present volume is also well illustrated, for the most part by the author's own photographs. It deals completely with saddlery, bits and bridles of every sort, with the art of riding, including races, steeplechases, and across country. The chapters on hunting will be useful to persons who may be in danger of putting on their new "pink" coats to go out cub-hunting ; or who do not know that top boots demand also the wearing of a top-hat, and that a hat-guard is allowable with a "billy coke" hat. But we have also most valuable advice on getting a stable of bunters together, joining a hunt, and con- ciliating the farmers and the pheasant-shooters. The suggestions for riding and curing vicious horses of various kinds are founded on common-sense, which is too often lacking in grooms,—a class of servants, we fear, hardly equalled for ignorance and prejudice. It is well-nigh impossible to persuade them that a thrashing is not the way to cure either shying or stumbling. Whether Captain Hayes will succeed in converting the masters, and tin ough them the men, we are doubtful. Most people know too little about their horses to venture to interfere in their stables. In any case, whoever wants a thoroughly good book on riding in all its branches may be assured that there is none better than this one of Captain Hayes.
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