0/t the Exhibition of Live Stock at Chester. 373 



patron of the turf, and introduced every variety of Eastern 

 blood. Then commences the history of our thoroughbred horse, 

 until we find a record of his pedigree carefully registered in the 

 " Stud Book." 



The Cavalry Horse. — Our war horses were formerly large and 

 of heavy calibre : they now possess more breeding but less 

 substance, and they too frequently represent a singular compound 

 of many crosses. There are few subjects that demand the atten- 

 tion of Government more than the pioduction of a " cavalry 

 horse." The coach-horse has also been remodelled from the 

 old clumsy six-mile-an-hour horse into an elegantly shaped 

 animal, having high knee action — the great essential. The 

 Cleveland bay has had much to do with this improvement. The 

 Cleveland mare being crossed with a three-fourths or thorough- 

 bred horse of sufficient substance and height, the produce is the 

 coach-horse now so much in repute. Their production is mainly 

 confined to Yorkshire ; subsequent crosses with the higher bred 

 stallion produce many a good weight-carrying hunter and hack. 



The Hunter. — The altered character of fox-hounds, and the 

 additional speed they have acquired, compel all men to ride a 

 better horse. Stoutness is still required, but blood has become 

 an essential quality. In Devonshire the old thick half-bred 

 horse may get along tolerably well in the enclosed country, 

 but for Leicestershire the hunter must now be nearly or quite 

 thoroughbred. 



The Hackney is even more difficult to breed than the hunter. 

 A hack must be perfect in all that relates to fine action, temper, 

 symmetry, and size ; he must not be below or above a fancy 

 height. He must avoid the " daisy cutting " as much as the 

 " high knee action," and go smoothly along at a gliding, yet ten- 

 mile-an-hour, pace. 



The Pony. — The mountain pony is an indigenous animal 

 peculiar to our mountain ranges, whereby the rough grasses are 

 turned to account, which would otherwise decay and be lost. 

 The original pony has been much improved ; the native pony of 

 the New Forest in Hampshire was enlarged and improved by the 

 presence of *' Old Marske " amongst them ; the Exmoor pony, 

 by an infusion of the English thoroughbred and Dongola horse ; 

 the Welsh pony has been crossed with the Norwegian ; the 

 Dartmoors are nearly extinct ; the Highland pony is still the old 

 hardy animal nature formed ; the Shetland pony of the northern 

 Scottish isles is still diminutive, but beautiful. The infusion 

 of larger males amongst the old mountain race has increased their 

 bulk, while their pony form and hardy constitution have been 

 preserved. The severity of winter-storms drafts many an inferior 

 animal from this larger breed, leaving the breeder to reflect on 



