A HOUGH WEEK. 191 



the only proper foundation upon which the public now build 

 reasonable hope of crossing a strong country in safety. And 

 there is no little soundness in the notion. A big well-balanced 

 horse can carry himself, and nine times out of ten will carry a 

 rider too — be the latter qualified to do little more than merely 

 "remain." It is more or less a matter of indifference to the 

 former what the latter is about. They interfere but little with 

 one another. A little horse, on the contrary, requires a master- 

 hand to do him justice, where the ground is deep and fences 

 tall and strong. In years past I have run over many a sheet 

 of paper in pursuance of the argument of Big Horse versus 

 Little. Now I have only to say that advocacy of size is put 

 forward by common practice. It is recognized that horses of 

 weight and substance go easier over the ground, tire less in 

 jumping, and often scatter without inconvenience a fence that 

 would turn a lighter animal on to his head. I believe I am 

 right in asserting that there are a dozen fourteen-stone horses 

 :at the covertside nowadays to one that was to be seen ten years 

 ago — and the} 7 show as much breeding as any of the lighter 

 •ones. The professional " thrusters " who have money or credit 

 are seldom seen on little animals. The dealers keep very few 

 of them ; and the farmers find they don't pay. You must go 

 through quite as many places in these countries of grass as you 

 can ever jump over — and in so doing weight must tell. Breeders 

 are obviously aiming to produce size ; for buyers will have 

 nothing else. Sixteen hands, up to the weight of a man in 

 full bloom, sired by a thoroughbred and with a dam whose 

 pedigree has scarcely a suspicion of stain — such is the vehicle 

 upon which a man of means is alone content to take his chance 

 with the rest. Even the bulkiest of our contemporaries " assume 

 a virtue if they have it not ; " order the clipping machine to be 

 kept closely at work on Smiler's rounded heels, and under the 

 guidance of their dealer's glib invention palm off their ponderous 

 provincial as own brother to Melton. A little nippy horse, 

 ridden by a little nippy but powerful man, will perform great 

 feats, and in the neatest fashion, as has been instanced by many 



