Hunters 49 



legs, and, dressed in mufti, his owner rode Prince on to meet the 

 hounds. It was the last time Prince ever carried mufti with hounds. 

 It often happens that when you are not particularly anxious for 

 a start you are sure to get it, and so it happened on this occasion. 

 The hounds had the best of runs that hounds can have, viz. one in 

 which a hill fox makes a good point across the low country. Prince 

 soon showed himself a natural jumper, and he was one of the very 

 few that were there when the fox was killed. Four days later 

 Prince, clipped and smartened up, was carrying the scarlet coat. 

 There was an own sister to this horse in the breeders' hands, and 

 this gentleman hastened to buy her. He gave a big price, as prices 

 were then, something like £go. Prince had cost under ;^30. In 

 appearance she was very much like Prince, but in nothing else, for 

 she was as bad as he was good. I have frequently heard the owner 

 say that Prince was the best hunter he ever owned and his sister 

 the worst. From this it would seem that it is essential in crossing 

 that at least one parent should be pure-bred, and if this is the 

 case, it would seem reasonable to expect the best results from a 

 Hunter -bred sire when he is mated with a Thoroughbred mare, 

 somewhat on the light and perhaps small side. A small, compact. 

 Thoroughbred mare, all quality and courage, should cross well with 

 a Hunter-bred sire provided that he is clear of coarseness. That 

 is the great thing to avoid in breeding Hunters, for it assuredly 

 lessens the profit of the breeder. 



The light-weight Hunter is not so valuable, and does not meet 

 with so ready a market as the medium-weight horse or the weight 

 carrier. The man whose riding weight is under 11 st. 7 lb. is 

 generally easily mounted, and if he is a wise man he will ride 

 Thoroughbreds and nothing else. He will easily be able to provide 

 himself with them if he attends the yearling sales and buys un- 

 fashionably bred yearlings. These can frequently be obtained for 

 25 gs., or even on occasion for less, and I have known some good 

 14-st. hunters turn out from amongst them. 



If a man has a light-weight Hunter mare he will have no diffi- 

 culty in mating her, but, as with stronger mares, he will be wise to 

 avoid the tall split-up horse. 



It remains to say a word about the classification of Hunters. 

 Generally a light-weight horse is considered as one that can carry 

 13 St. 7 lb. or less; the middle-weight horse is expected to carry 

 over 13 St. 7 lb. and not more than 15 st.; and the weight carrier 

 must be up to 15 st. or upwards. Broadly this is the usual classi- 

 fication, but occasionally at shows a different one is adopted for 

 special reasons. 



VOL. IIL 87 



