RIDING ON EXMOOR. 347 



blood. The heavy Shire blood has hardly infected 

 the hill districts at present, and the Suffolk is 

 absolutely unknown. The working stock on most of 

 the hill farms are small, short legged, strong backed, 

 quick moving horses, which can both trot and gallop. 

 A heavy, slow moving horse is quite useless on a 

 farm, half the acreage of which is as steep as the 

 side of a house, and on many of which the sled is 

 still in use for carrying crops. These horses are 

 habitually ridden over the moors and wide commons 

 shepherding, and are quite used to doing a day's 

 hunting when required. The writer remembers seeing 

 Sam Webber, of Brightworthy, and his son leading 

 the field for the last three miles of a big gallop on 

 the horses they had unhitched from the cart in 

 which they were carrying corn when hounds came in 

 sight. 



This class of mare is a very useful basis to breed 

 from when crossed with suitable thoroughbred sires. 

 For many years there has been in the district an 

 abundance of good blood, such as Tomahawk, First 

 Flight, Half and Half, Messager, Progress, who was 

 own brother to the celebrated mare Florence, and was 

 the sire of innumerable polo ponies ; Button Park, 

 '^Allow Me, Upset, The Cob, Orme's Head, The Ghost, 

 Grand National, and others too numerous to mention. 

 There are, it must be admitted, considerable numbers 

 of useful staghunters bred in the district, and the best 

 of them are, beyond a doubt, the very best mounts for 

 a medium weight to ride, but the supply is nothing 



