114 THE HORSE 



may be thoroughbred without the knowledge of their breeders, but most 

 are really what they are said to be, namely, half-bred, which I have 

 explained as meaning the possession of more or less stain of nondescript 

 blood. I have described the shape and characteristics of the thorough- 

 bred horse so fully that it is needless for me to return to the subject ; 

 but as far as his powers for hunting purposes are concerned, it was 

 necessary to allude to them here as I have done. 



IN CHOOSING the half-bred hunter, regard must be had to the weight 

 he has to carry and the country he has to cross for the lighter the 

 weight and the more open the country, the more highly bred should 

 he be. A man of 18 stone must generally be contented with an 

 active cart-horse, but sometimes a remarkably strong colt is reared 

 possessing a good deal of blood, for his shape, and he is worth a large 

 sum, when taught the trade which he has to carry on. In any case, 

 however, the hunter should have the free use of his legs, and should 

 be able to gallop over rough ground without a mistake. It is here 

 that the training for the racecourse so often tells unfavourably, for 

 every training-ground is kept as level as possible, and the racing colt 

 has had no necessity for picking his way. From his earliest days he 

 has been either turned out in a level paddock or he has been in a 

 loose box, and hence he has had little occasion to look where he is 

 going. On the other hand, the half-bred is turned out till he is four 

 years old, and the fields which he runs over are composed of every 

 variety of ground, often crossed by roads with deep ruts, or containing 

 such other inequalities of surface, that if he does not take care he will 

 fall over them. The breaker, likewise, if he knows his business, takes 

 him over undulating ground, and thus he learns to avoid mistakes 

 which might break his own or his rider's neck in the hunting 

 field. No fall is so dangerous as one occurring from the horse putting 

 his foot into a blind drain, which a clever animal will seldom do, while 

 a race-horse will rarely avoid it for any length of time if ridden over 

 ground containing these dangerous traps without great care on the 

 part of the rider. 



THE POINTS ESSENTIAL to the hunter are chiefly the following: First 

 and foremost, he must have a good shoulder-blade, placed obliquely to 

 sustain easily the shock of falling from a height, and enable the horse 

 to get away again quickly from it. It should also be particularly well 

 clothed with muscles, or the part will soon tire, and after getting over 

 the first few fences in good style a fall will occur. The muscularity of 

 the fore-arm is likewise of great importance for the same reason, for 

 this part also soon tires if not sufficiently powerful. Next to the 

 shoulder and arm come the hind-quarters, which should be powerful in 

 proportion to the weight which is to be carried. In this class of horses 

 still more than in the race-horse a straight quarter is my aversion, and I 

 never yet saw a perfect hunter with this kind of shape in the fullest 

 degree.. Wide hips are especially necessary in the hunter intended 

 to carry weight, and even ragged ones are to be preferred to the narrow 

 weak hips which give a good side view, but look like a deal board from 

 behind. Large and i luscular haunches and gaskins (or thighs) can alone 



