THE THOROUGHBRED HUNTER AND STEEPLECHASER 111 



proved by innumerable well-known instances. Sometimes perhaps one, 

 sometimes another, of these may effect the change, and perhaps, occa- 

 sionally, all three may combine to produce it, but undoubtedly the first 

 hope of the owner of a slow race-horse is that he may yet become a good, 

 and therefore fast, hunter or steeplechaser. In the palmy days of steeple- 

 chasing, when £1000 was a common price for a first-class horse suited to 

 the purpose, such an animal was as difficult to procure as a horse to win the 

 Derby, and a man who had one congratulated himself on his good fortune. 

 But now, in spite of the fresh impetus given to the sport by the establish- 

 ment of aristocratic and national hunt races, it languishes sadl}', and no 

 one would dream of entering it as a speculation, either by breeding or 

 purchase. All that is wanted is a race-horse of sufficient power to carry 

 11 or 12 stone, and with temper and courage to make him take to 

 jumping. Without these qualities it is useless to attempt to do much with 

 a young horse in the way of education, for though in the hands of a 

 determined school-master he may be made to jump, yet he will never be to 

 be depended on, and when most wanted, he will be sure to fail. So also 

 with his action, it must be rounder and have less of the daisy-cutting style 

 than is required on the flat, for otherwise he will be sure to fall in passing 

 over the grips and other inequalities which he has to encounter. If 

 therefore, a slow race-horse of stout blood, has good manners and courage, 

 and is possessed of a sufficiently strong frame to stand the shocks of the 

 steeplechase course, he may be thrown by till the ground is fit to begin to 

 school him, and he will often reward his owner by becoming a first-rate 

 performer over a country. I have specially noted the character of the 

 blood, for there are some strains which may be relied on with far more 

 certainty than others for this purpose. The descendants of Waxy, for 

 instance, wherever they have good shoulders, and of sufficient size and 

 substance, are most valuable ; while on the other hand the Selims are too 

 flashy as a rule, though one or two sons of Ishmael and Ratcatcher may be 

 instanced as exceptions. Drayton, who got more first-rate steeplechasers 

 than any stallion of his day, being sire of Bourton, Standard — Guard, 

 Victim, and several others of less note, was by Muley, son of Orville, out 

 of Prima Donna, by Soothsayer, grand-dam by Waxy. He was not himself 

 successful on the flat, nor has he got a good race-horse, but his stout blood, 

 good temper, and strong frame and constitution, were exactly suited to the 

 task required of steeplechasers and hunters. 



The thoroughbred hunter is similar in external form to the steeple- 

 chaser, but in him "good manners" are still more reqiiisite. So also when 

 a high weight is to be carried a stronger frame is reijuired than for the 

 11 or 12 stone of the steeplechase course. 



