THE CHACE. 
three hundred hunters, in the hands of the most expe- 
rienced grooms England can produce the average 
number being ten to each sportsman residing there, 
although some of those who ride heavy, and rejoice in 
long purses, have from fourteen to twenty for their own 
use ; the stud of the Earl of Plymouth for many years 
exceeded the last-mentioned number. It may seem 
strange, that one man should, under any circumstances, 
need so large a number of horses solely for his personal 
use in the field ; and it must be admitted that few 
countries do require it. In Leicestershire, however, the 
universal practice is for each sportsman to have at least 
two hunters in the field on the same day, a practice 
found to be economical, as it is from exhaustion, the 
effect of long-continued severe work, that the health of 
horses is most injured. And when it is also borne in 
mind, that hounds are to be reached from Melton, 
Leicester, &c., every day in the week, that one horse 
out of six in every man's stud is, upon an average, 
lame, or otherwise unfit for work, and that a horse 
should always have five days' rest after a moderate, and 
at least seven or eight after a severe, run with hounds, 
it will not seem surprising that ten or twelve hunters 
should be deemed an indispensable stud for a regular 
Leicestershire sportsman. 
The stables and other conveniences for hunters in 
the town and neighbourhood are upon a very superior 
scale, and the greater part of the studs remain there all 
the year round ; though, from the comparatively small 
