240 The Post and the Paddock. 



have been transferred for a 4OO-guinea consideration. 

 The Leicestershire hunting men have begun to buy 

 their horses more directly out of the farmers' hands ; 

 and Burbidge of Thorpe Arnold, Sikes of Tilton, 

 Simpkin of Hoby, Wright of Burton, and John Wood 

 of Market Overton, have been of late among the 

 luckiest sellers. 



The lengthy short-legged stamp of hunter, slow 

 over grass, but great over plough and strong fences, 

 is gradually becoming very rare. No horses sell so 

 well when they can be found, and their rarity may 

 in a great measure be owing to the fact that blood- 

 horses of this build are generally not successful in 

 the T.Y.C. or one-mile races which are now in vogue, 

 and are therefore cut, or sold to the foreigners very 

 early in the day. They are not quick on their legs, 

 and get quite overset if they are hurried in the first 

 half mile, though they have perpetual motion enough 

 to "bring back" the majority of horses to them over 

 a T.M.M. or a D.I. course. We have always regretted 

 that The Ban, who was quite the " Admirable Crich- 

 ton" of this type of horse, should ever have been sent 

 abroad. The muscular-loined Inheritor (who always 

 kicked fearfully in his exercise) was cast in another 

 mould, but was still a magnificent model for a hunter 

 sire. Weathergage would have suited lengthy mares 

 to a nicety ; and Peep-o'-Day-Boy, in spite of his bad 

 pasterns, was after our own heart, as he had a very 

 perfect, and not too lengthy a barrel, and presented 

 to the eye that best of all combinations, a big deep 

 horse on remarkably short legs. Ex-racers of any 

 note have very seldom earned a name across country, 

 and Mr. D. Robertson's Edgar, by Shakspeare, who 

 carried him for eighteen seasons, is one of the few 

 instances to the contrary. 



Shropshire always stood high as a hunting county, 

 when Corbet, Hill, Graham, Puleston, and Mytton 

 were its scarlet kings ; but its enthusiasm has been 



