2i8 Hark A zi) ay, 



of stabling, and upwards of one hundred acres of land 

 adjoining. Being a stranger, I had written asking 

 permission to visit the stud, mentioning the name of 

 a well-known Lincolnshire sportsman, whom I meet 

 occasionally with the Quorn and the Cottesmore, 

 who told me I should see as fine a lot of hunters as 

 could be shown by any one. My Lincolnshire friend's 

 judgment was fully confirmed, as I have rarely seen 

 a finer string, amounting to close upon eighty high- 

 class horses, all fit to go the moment the weather 

 permits hunting and customers present themselves. 

 Having experienced a very cordial reception from Mr. 

 Toynbee, he was good enough to have nearly every 

 horse in the stable stripped for my inspection. 



The construction of the boxes, and the general 

 arrangements of this extensive range of premises, 

 are most convenient and suitable for the business, 

 covered yards for exercise, and a circus, with furze- 

 covered bars and padded fences being provided; 

 here the hunters are exercised daily, being turned 

 loose to take the jumps in their own fashion — an 

 admirable plan, in my opinion, combining, as it does, 

 education with exercise. 



After passing through nearly every box, and 

 finding a noble lot of animals installed in them, a 

 magnificent young chesnut horse, by Wild Oats, 

 was stripped and turned loose in the circus, in order 

 that he might show his quality and powers of jump- 

 ing and galloping. Of the whole lot, this animal ap- 

 peared to me to be the choicest. Very handsome and 

 muscular was the fine specimen, w^ell up to fourteen 

 stone, good tempered, a beautiful jumper, going 

 over the artificial fences like a deer. I came to the 



