SELECTION 331 



and extremely intelligent facial expression, impressive 

 of alertness to a degree. 



The country is full of half-bred hunters with no 

 more expression on their faces than that of vanners, 

 and such horses can be picked up at all sorts of 

 prices. 



The neck must be long, narrow towards the poll, 

 giving an oblique carriage to the head, a lofty carriage 

 being undesirable in the hunter. As the shoulders 

 are approached, the neck should perceptibly increase 

 in width, be of moderate thickness, and clean along 

 its upper border, with a closely- cropped mane. Many 

 hunters are very weedy in the neck, and if this is the 

 case, the horse is unable to recover itself in the event 

 of a fall, as the muscles of the neck materially assist 

 in raising the fore-part of the body, in its attempt to 

 regain balance. 



The upper border of the neck should pass into high 

 withers, and most of the best hunters are high in this 

 region. 



The back and the loins of medium length, whilst 

 the latter must be broad and clothed with powerful 

 muscles, passing into neatly turned quarters — the 

 so-called "goose-rump" being of objectionable con- 

 formation. 



The chest must be deep ; in fact, it is a sine qua non 

 that a hunter should be " well-hearted," i.e. have 

 plenty of space for the free play of heart and lungs 

 under extreme exertion. 



A slightly flat side is a recommendation, though 

 the ribs must not be short, otherwise the horse be- 



