40 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



grazing. It is well known that the legs of horses are 

 seldom, if ever, much longer, at any period of their 

 lives, than they are when they are foaled, or at least 

 at the expiration of the first year ; and that the body, 

 when at maturity, rises to the height prescribed, as it 

 were, by the length of the legs. This, however, chiefly 

 applies to horses which have been reared in a natural 

 state, and not forced by corn, which most colts now 

 are that promise to make valuable or first-rate hunters. 

 In this case, more than usual, or, we may venture to 

 say, intended growth of the body takes place, which, 

 whilst it adds much to their value, and produces what 

 we so much prize — the short-legged horse of power 

 and size — yet it makes it very difficult for such a horse 

 to reach the ground with his mouth, his head being so 

 far from it when erect. Indeed he cannot do it 

 without either half kneeling down, or greatly straining 

 his fore-legs. I lately witnessed a striking proof of 

 what I here assert. I saw a remarkably fine hunter 

 in the act of filling himself with grass ; and the only 

 way in which he could get at it was by placing one 

 fore-foot close to his hind ones, and the other close 

 to his mouth when it was on the ground, and even then 

 there was a tremor in his legs which too plainly shewed 

 the stress laid upon them to enable him to reach his 

 food. We have all experienced this, more or less, 

 as we have let our horses stoop to drink in shallow 

 water. 



My third and most essential objection to turning 

 hunters out to grass is, not so much on account of 

 their legs and feet — for without good legs and feet 



