HUNTERS 73 



That a hunter should bridle well and give freely to his 

 bit goes without saying, for it adds immensely to the 

 comfort of the rider as well as to the appearance of the 

 horse ; but unless there is sufficient width in the angle of 

 the jaws, the animal may not be able to bend the neck 

 sufficiently to do so with ease. Many a good hunter pokes 

 his nose out, and is yet a safe conveyance. The width is 

 desirable also in another way, for a jaw may be too close 

 together to give sufficient room for the windpipe, and all 

 first-rate stayers are wide in this region. There should 

 be space enough for the outstretched forefinger to be 

 inserted between the jaws, from the knuckle-joint to the 

 tip of the finger, and less than this should cause the steed 

 to be rejected. 



The shoulders should be long and well sloped, and the 

 withers sufficiently high and defined to make the saddle 

 fit its proper place ; but there must be plenty of muscle as 

 well, or the horse cannot save itself in a bad scramble with 

 a weight upon its back. Though a round wither makes 

 it difficult to keep the saddle in its place, if there is plenty 

 of liberty in the shoulder it is preferable to a high, thin, 

 knifey wither, for this means weakness, while the other 

 means strength. Whether the saddle keeps in its place 

 depends much upon the depth of the heart-ribs underneath, 

 for if these are not well developed and a straight line can 

 be drawn parallel to the ground, under the chest, the girths 

 will ever have a tendency to work forward. When this 

 is the case they are apt to create a sore behind the elbow, 

 which often happens with an undeveloped four-year-old. 

 An excellent remedy for this is to tie an old bootlace tightly 

 round the girth, bending back the front edge, so that it 

 no longer comes in contact with the abrasion. While the 

 chest itself should be of such width that the fore-legs are well 

 apart, it should terminate in an arch when viewed from the 

 front, for if it appears square there will be a falling off 

 in speed. If the space between the legs is too narrow, 

 there will be a tendency to hit the opposite limb when tired, 

 in deep ground. 



