138 VARIETIES OF THE HORSE 



" Hunters are of all degrees of blood from the Thoroughbred to the Cart- 

 horse. It depends on the nature of the country for which they are 

 chosen, and still more on accident. ... If a man desires to make a 

 figure in a capital hunt he must provide a Thoroughbred Hunter. He 

 must be equal to the weight of the rider, neither leggy, nor long-waisted, 

 nor slight-boned, nor have crooked pastern joints. He should be well 

 set upon his haunches previously to being used as a Hunter. In general 

 a Hunter should have a good loin and spreading haunches, strong and 

 well-knit joints, should go clear of his legs, have a good mouth, a striding 

 gallop, and reach at least the height of 15 hands". 



Eleven years later John Scott, writing in the Siwrtsman's Repository, 

 again alludes to the superiority of the Irish horses, which he says " are 

 renowned as leapers both standing and flying, to be attributed in some 

 measure to their form, shape, and frigate build ". He refers to the 

 English Hunter as being "a horse between 15 and 16 hands in height 

 from the half-bred to the Thoroughbred species, and ought to be of a 

 lofty forehand, and shoulders well formed for action, with wide and 

 .substantial loins, moderately short legs and pasterns, and sound feet." 



" Nimrod ", although credited with being a first-flight man in his day, 

 does not appear to have been so profoundly impressed by the sanctity 

 of the Hunter as some modern authors, for he admits that a Hunter may 

 be put to many purposes in addition to field, as he can carry a man 

 to battle, or be used for draught. " It is therefore singular," he adds, 

 " that out of a hundred men at covert side not half a dozen of them are 

 on their own bred horses." This he accounted for by the uncertainty of 

 breeding, for which it was difficult to lay down rules, but he thought 

 the chief difficulty was to obtain the services of a good stallion; and 

 therefore he, unlike most writers upon the Hunter, advocates a cross of 

 Arab blood. So far, however, as he dared to go into the question of 

 breeding Hunters " Nimrc<l " went, the cardinal principles that he laid 

 clown for the guidance of his readers being to observe the peculiarities 

 of the horse and mare, and ci'oss accordingly, a tall horse to a low mare, 

 and so on, selecting only animals with moderate-sized carcasses, as he 

 "never saw a very closely ribbed large -carcassed horse brilliant as a 

 hunter". "Nimrod", moreover, appears to have been a little heretical 

 as regards his opinions on the subject of a Hunter's head, and he expresses 

 himself as indiff'erent to its size and shape, provided it is well hung on, 

 which is important, for he states his belief that even more than the 

 mere length of neck, the set-on of the head is connected with the heavy 

 bearing on the hands. He considered, however, that the length of the 

 head and neck should be proportionate; if one were long so ought the 



