214 FOX-HUNTING 



I am not a believer in the ordinary show, but 

 I think the shows and premiums for thorough- 

 bred stallions are likely to do great good in 

 improving the breed of hunters. Formerly we 

 had to be content with a stallion if he was not 

 thought good enough to be a sire of racehorses, 

 but now there is every encouragement to keep 

 a horse that is sound, has plenty of bone, and 

 is built somewhat on hunter lines. 



The man who attempts to breed hunters may 

 expect many failures and few successes. The 

 reason for this is that the two animals mated are 

 not of one type, and the hope is to graft quality 

 on to strength, but the usual result is a com- 

 bination of the worst points of both. It is a 

 well-known rule in breeding, that the greater the 

 difference in outward appearance between male 

 and female, the more will their progeny vary 

 in shapes and sizes. Crossing is and always 

 will be a risky game to play, but that is at 

 present our only way of breeding a hunter. 



The thoroughbred horse on the half-bred mare 

 is the usual plan, but I prefer the other way 

 about. Size and strength with the sire, quality 

 and staying-power with the dam. Some of the 



