THE SADDLE BREEDS OF HORSES 151 



in America under the auspices of the Jockey Club, that 

 admits to register almost any animal with one or more 

 crosses of Thoroughbred blood, that has been regularly 

 " hunted " a certain number of times, with some recog- 

 nized pack of hounds, and approved by the master. 



Hunter-breeding in America is conducted to a limited 

 extent in the neighborhood of most of the organized hunt 

 clubs, of which there are some fifty in the eastern states. 

 In such sections one will find one to half a dozen Thorough- 

 bred stallions in general use among the farmers of that 

 special community. In the Genesee valley in Livingston 

 county, New York, for example, there are no less than 

 eight Thoroughbred stallions within a radius of fifteen 

 miles, being used on the farm mares of the neighborhood 

 for the special purpose of breeding Hunters. Virginia 

 probably produces more animals that are especially bred 

 for hunting than any other state. Of late years, however, 

 the Jockey Club has put out many Thoroughbred stallions 

 throughout the state of New York. Hitherto, Canada 

 has been one of the principal sources from which American 

 hunting men have been supplied. The Canadian Hunters 

 come largely from between Toronto and London, Ontario, 

 where Thoroughbred stallions have been very generally 

 used. 



181. Description. The Hunter should not be high- 

 headed, and the longer the rein the better. The fore-hand 

 should be light. The withers should be higher than the 

 croup, and the bones of the fore-limb comparatively long, 

 so as to be able efficiently to raise the fore-hand both in 

 taking and landing. The shoulders and pasterns should 

 be long and sloping. The muscles that lie above the fore- 

 arm should be well developed, as the fore-arm straightens 

 the shoulder joint and the latter straightens the elbow 



