4 THE PEACTICAL HORSE KEEPER. 



A good, high, and sloping shoulder is absolutely essential in 

 a hunter, and no less are good limbs and joints ; but the 

 iirst, being that conformation which is most necessary, is that 

 which is always so eagerly sought for. It is often the point 

 which is most difficult to obtain, from the fact that more 

 frequently than not, one of the parents has had heavy or 

 upright shoulders, and these are reproduced in the foal — 

 either the thorough-bred sire or the harness mare to which 

 he is put having had this drawback. The hunter's loins and 

 hind quarters should be wide and strong, and thighs long and 

 muscular ; while his " wind " should be without check or 

 stint. It is scarcely necessary to add that a hunter should be 

 stout-hearted at work and after it ; he ought always to feed 

 well and rest well, and give other indications of a good con- 

 stitution and a placid temperament. 



Made-hunters of first-class quality and appearance are 

 expensive to purchase, especially if they are up to weight ; and 

 two, three, or four hundred guineas are sometimes paid for 

 them. But good half-bred horses may be bought for much less, 

 and especially from farmers who breed and ride them straight 

 to hounds. 



THE HACK. 



There are three or four kinds of hacks in use — the road 

 hack, cover hack, park hack, and lady's hack. 



The road hack is a much rarer animal now than he was before 

 the days of railways, telegraphs, and steamships, when much 

 of the travelling of those days was done on his back, and when 

 his best qualities were most fully developed. Road riding is 

 not now very common, and journeys on horseback are seldom 

 indulged in ; consequently, the decrease in the number of road 

 hacks has been very gi-eat, and the qualities which were so 

 conspicuous in them are not now so much in request. This is 

 a matter to be regretted, and especially on the score of cavalry 



