BREEDING OF HUNTERS. 257 



South Wales, or rather its three most western coun- 

 ties, which support five regular packs of fox hounds. 

 He considers that the best stamp of a Welsh hunter 

 is a well-bred compact horse, not exceeding fifteen- 

 two in height ; he must be very handy and clever at 

 on-and-oif work, a good one up hill and through 

 dirt : a fast horse is always an advantage, but a per- 

 fect fencer is of more importance in this rough hilly 

 country, as there are too many days on which a Welsh 

 fox-hunter is employed in riding through interminable 

 woods, and up and down break-neck dingles. Many 

 of the horses in the V. H. C. country, old-fashioned 

 hunters with rare loins and back ribs, have a power of 

 creeping which absolutely borders on the miraculous. 

 The Castle mar tain country, which until last season 

 was hunted by the South Pembrokeshire, and holds 

 as good a scent as any in England, is the principal 

 breeding district for hunters ; and the " sporting 

 Castlemartain yeomen" (as they delight to be called) 

 keep at least one three-parts-bred brood mare, which 

 is generally put to a thorough-bred horse. The young- 

 sters are mostly kept till five years old, by which 

 time they are usually perfect fencers, and find a ready 

 sale for the English market, at prices varying from 

 90 to <150; and the principal buyers are Messrs. 

 James and Jacob of Cheltenham, and Harvey of 

 Manchester. For some years back the leading sires 

 have been Pilkington, Uncle Toby, Ascot, Mango, 

 Ballinkeele, Gaper, St. Bennett, Firman, Benedict, 

 and Sultan; and, within the last two years, Pha- 

 roah, Cheops, Langton, and Shannon (h. b.) have 

 joined their ranks. Ascot, Mango, and Ballinkeele 

 have perhaps got the best hunters, and Gaper's stock 

 are usually very good fencers, but their forelegs are 

 sadly deficient. 



The most fashionable hunter sires in Ireland, during 

 the last thirty years, have been Old Welcome, Bob 

 Booty, Tiger, Sir Hercules, Birdcatcher (Old), Small- 



