442 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



especially thin beneath ; his crest firm and 

 arched, and his jaws wide. The head will 

 then be well set on. It will form that angle 

 with the neck, which gives a light and plea- 

 sant mouth. 



The forehand should be loftier than that of 

 the racer. A turf Horse may be forgiven if 

 bi.'s iiind quarters rise an inch or two above 

 his fore ones. His principal power is wanted 

 from behind, and the very lowness of the 

 forehand may throw more weight in front, and 

 cause the whole machine to be more easily 

 and speedily moved. A lofty forehand, how- 

 ever, is indispensable in the hunter ; the 

 slioulder as extensive as in the racer ; as 

 oblique and somewhat thicker ; the saddle 

 will then be in its proper place, and will con- 

 tinue so, however long may be the run. 



The barrel should be rounder to give greater 

 room for the heart and lungs to play, and send 

 more and purer blood to the larger frame of 

 this Horse ; and especially more room to play 

 when the run may continue unchecked for a 

 time that begins to be distressing. A broad 

 chest is an excellence in the hunter. In the 

 violent and long continued exertion of the 

 chase, the respiration is exceedingly quickened, 

 and abundantly more blood is hurried through 

 the lungs in a given time than when the 

 animal is at rest. There must be sufficient 

 room for this, or the Horse will be blown, and 

 possibly destroyed. The majority of the 

 Horses that perish in the field are narrow 

 chested. 



The foot of the hunter is a most material 

 point. It is of consequence in the racer, yet 

 it is a notorious fact, that many of our best 

 thorotigh-bred Horses have had very indifier- 

 ent feet. The narrow contracted foot is the 

 curse of much of the racing blood The 



work of the racer, however, is all performed 

 on the turf, and his bad feet may scarcely in- 

 commode him ; but the foot of the hunter is 

 battered over many a flinty road and stony 

 field, and if not particularly good, will soon be 

 disabled and ruined. 



The po^sition of the feet requires some 

 attention in the hunter. They should if pos- 

 sible stand straight. If tliey turn a little out- 

 ward there is no serious objection ; but if they 

 turn inward his action cannot be safe 

 particularly when he is fatigued or over- 

 weighted. 



The body should be short and compact, 

 compared with that of the race-horse, that he 

 may not in his gallop take too extended a 

 stride. This would be a serious disadvantage 

 in a long day and with a heavy rider, from 

 the stress on the pasterns ; and more serious 

 when going over clayey poached ground, 

 during the winter months. The compact 

 short-strided Horse will almost ^kim the sur- 

 face, while the feet of the longer-reached 

 animal will sink deep, and he will wear him- 

 self out by efforts to disengage himself 



Training the hunter is a simple process, all 

 that is required being to bring him into good 

 wind, without, at the same time, reducing 

 him too low in flesh, or injuring his sinews ; 

 since, on a long chase, more especially over a 

 heavy country, a Horse needs the aid of his 

 full bodily strength, and of his unimpaired 

 tendinous and muscular powers. It is ex- 

 tremely dangerous to ride a Horse over the 

 country, which is weak in his joints, or has 

 the common hurt in his back sinews ; but the 

 danger is tenfold, in taking a flying leap upon 

 such a Horse, where the opposite descent is 

 considerable, and the stress upon his lower 

 limbs iu his landing, with a heavy weight 



