98 THE HORSE. 
tome the hind-quarters, which should be powerful in proportion to the 
weight which is to be carried. In this class of horses still more than in 
the racehorse a straight quarter is my aversion, and I never yet saw a 
perfect hunter with this kind of shape in the fullest degree. The Irish 
hunter, which is remarkable for cleverness, has almost invariably a low 
croup, as we shall presently see; and the shape which is represented in the 
frontispiece is the one which I believe to be perfection for the purpose we 
are now considering. The horse of which this is a most faithful portrait is 
supposed to be by Irish Birdcatcher, and was imported from Ireland with 
that pedigree. He is nearly thoroughbred, and in my belief can carry 
twelve stone against anything in this country, with the most beautiful 
action in the world; but belonging to a gentleman who eschews the 
steeplechase course, he has never been publicly tried, and I only judge his 
qualities from his performances in private, which are to my own know- 
ledge such as to entitle him to the character which I have given him, 
The likeness is most faithful, and does Mr. Barraud the greatest credit ; 
the engraving is on that account to be regarded as doubly valuable. 
Indeed, if we could obtain plenty of such horses, there would be nothing 
further to desire; but he is an exception, and can only be considered as 
the standard or type to be aimed at in breeding the hunter to carry twelve 
stone or fourteen stone. Wide hips are especially necessary in the hunter 
intended to carry weight, and even ragged ones are to be preferred to the 
narrow weak hips which give a good side view, but look like a deal board 
from behind. ‘Large and muscular haunches and gaskins (or thighs) can 
alone give propelling power, but if these exist with small or diseased 
hocks the power will be thrown away. In the hunter far more than in 
the racehorse, the hocks should be well bent, and the stifles high and 
wide, or the action will be disunited, and the power of shifting the 
fore feet so as to avoid holes, &c. will be wanting. Below the hocks and 
knees the canna bones should be large, and the suspensory ligaments 
and tendons strong, clean, and free, while the pasterns should be strong 
and shorter than in the racehorse, terminating in feet large enough to 
avoid sinking in deep ground. In the middle-piece a greater width is 
desirable than in the racehorse, where excessive speed compels, to some 
extent, a sacrifice of “ bellows’ room,” and a chest slightly wider than in 
that variety may be admitted as perfection, though still not too wide and 
open. The back and loins must be strong, and well united to the hips 
by the back-ribs, being deep and close up, so as to bear the strain given 
by the superincumbent weight in coming to the ground after a leap. 
This kind of horse also has great demands upon his stamina, for he is 
sometimes kept out for a whole day without food, and has generally an 
empty stomach from nine o’clock in the morning till five or six in the 
afternoon, which is double the interval best suited to his constitution. 
Hence a full middle-piece is a desideratum, and in no class of half-bred 
horse is it so much required, for n6é other is exposed to such calls upon 
the digestive organs. The racehorse even when deprived of his hay by 
“ setting” is allowed plenty of corn a very short time before running, but 
the hunter may leave his stable at eight or nine o’clock in the morning, 
and after being out for hours either drawing coverts blank or perhaps 
vetting a moderate run, a fresh fox is found at three o’clock, and he must 
nevertheless go to the front or his master will despise him. Such a tax 
can only be borne by digestive organs which have plenty of room, and 
therefore it is that deep back ribs are so specially looked for by the 
hunting man of any experience. 
