HUNTERS 69 



possess a big barrel — a good " spur place " it is often 

 termed — for this denotes a strong constitution, and the 

 horse is likely to be a good feeder after hard work ; but while 

 the ribs should be well-hooped, and the larger they are the 

 better, the actual length is not so important as that they 

 should spring from the spine with a good arch. Many a 

 comparatively short-ribbed horse is hardier and a better 

 feeder when his ribs spring well from the back, than another 

 with a much longer length of rib which has a drooping, 

 rather than an arched curve, at the commencement. More- 

 over, the hinder rib must not approach the prominent part 

 of the hip too closely, but leave sufficient room, so that 

 when the hand is placed in the hollow between the last rib 

 and the hip, and the fist is closed except the thumb and 

 little finger, these last can just touch, when fully extended, 

 the respective bones on each side. Without such room the 

 horse can neither gallop nor jump, as he has not liberty to 

 bring forward his hind-legs with sufficient swing. People 

 with a little knowledge are apt to imagine a horse must be 

 tightly ribbed up — with almost no hollow between the 

 rib and the hip — to be a good feeder, but such is not 

 the least necessary ; though horses so fashioned have 

 necessarily good constitutions, since they must possess both 

 large and well-hooped ribs, or they could not cover up the 

 hollow. There are plenty of horses to be found with well- 

 shaped ribs which do not suffer from the defect of being 

 tightly ribbed-up and yet are always ready for their food. 

 Hunters should bend their knees when trotting, and lift 

 their feet well, but without any of the extravagant style 

 of the hackney, which is quite unsuitable for a riding-horse, 

 required to travel fast and far. Preferable indeed to showy 

 action is the daisy-cutting, straight-kneed mode, at one 

 time so prevalent amongst thoroughbred horses when 

 Touchstone was a power in the land, for it was very 

 characteristic of his progeny. Yet at any rate his stock 

 possessed the merit of going fast, which no hackney 

 ever yet succeeded in accomplishing at a gallop. When 

 the fore-foot is extended, close attention must be given 

 to see that the foot is placed level on the ground, neither 



