statistics of the Present Day 



more general every day. Then the popularity 

 of hunting is on the increase; many M.F'.H.'s 

 maintain studs outside the hunt horses, and so 

 do many members of hunts. For that matter, 

 scores of people hunt four, five, and six days a 

 week, and in many provincial hunts there are several 

 who never miss a day in their pack. In the most 

 popular countries fields of from three to five and 

 six hundred are not uncommon. Many hunters 

 average one full day or two half days each week. 

 A man who does not keep many horses will rarely 

 hunt one oftener than three days a fortnight. 

 Great allowance must, however, be made for the 

 horses which are hors de combat. By Christmas- 

 time in an average year the percentage of horses 

 who become lame or have sore backs is enormous. 

 The supply must be recruited ; so the farmer or 

 dealer will benefit in the long run. If not, the 

 owners either hire or turn harness nags into 

 hunters. 



I next come to the value of hunters, and 

 give you the opinion of no mean expert, who 

 gave it to the hunting world in the Field. The 

 estimate of 200,000 hunters costing ;£io, 000,000 

 makes the hunter's value £^0 ; but not one real 

 hunter in fifty is bought for that sum. Only 

 the man who is skilled in horse-flesh, and is not 

 particular what he rides, can indulge in these 

 sort of nags. The average hunting man or 



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