BREEDING OF HUNTERS. 235 



much signify ; and the higher he is bred,, the greater 

 his intelligence,, and the speedier his recovery from 

 the effects of a hard day/' 



We dare not attempt to decide the point of sound- 

 ness between the advocates of large versus small feet ; 

 but, as far as our own observation goes, no foot that 

 is low and weak at the heel, will stand much wear 

 and tear in the hunting field. If, too, there is one 

 thing more than another to be avoided, it is a short- 

 shouldered hunter : they may go well for a short 

 distance, but the moment they get leg-weary, terrible 

 is their fall. When they make the slightest mistake 

 at a fence, they topple over, with their legs under them 

 in a heap, without a hope of recovery, and down goes 

 the rider before his horse. The long-shouldered ones 

 have, on the contrary, so much more liberty about 

 them, that they have always a leg to spare i and if 

 they do put down their riders, they do it like gentle- 

 men, and give them ample notice. It is the mail- 

 driver's old parallel over again between a road and a 

 railway accident " If the coach goes over, why, 

 you're there ! but if this 'ere steamer goes over, where 

 are you?" Depth of girth is generally a sign of 

 speed, as width is of endurance; and the Melton 

 men have for many years back declared that, to carry 

 weight, their horses must measure at least six feet 

 round. A noble lord was so tenacious on the point, 

 that he used to carry a six-foot piece of tape in his 

 waistcoat pocket throughout the whole season. On 

 one occasion he went to look at a horse, with two 

 friends, who, knowing his especial whim, contrived 

 to get hold of his tape just before he went into the 

 stable, and cut a couple of inches off it. " I've seen 

 them measure more, and I've seen them measure 

 less," was his remark, as he held up his tape to the 

 light, and found that the horse was only two inches 

 short of its full length. We don't know whether to 

 this day he has found out the joke, but he bought 



