J 68 ON THE HACKNEY AND HUNTER. 



delicacy, fymmetry, fpeed, and continuance; 

 without any of the difadvantages attendant 

 upon full blood. The produce of three-parts 

 bred mares and race-horfes (which might be 

 called feven-eighths bred, if we wanted a new 

 term) have too generally all the difadvantages 

 of the latter, without the benefit of their pecu- 

 liar qualifications. 



The ancient prejudice of the fuperior fitnefs 

 of the land of one Englifh county above 

 another, for the produ&ion of faddle-horfes, 

 and the fuppofed pre-eminence of Yorkfhire, 

 Northumberland, and Durham, has been of 

 late years fully and completely expofed The 

 Hie of Ely, Norfolk, and Suffolk, have for 

 fome years paft, bred the beft hacks, and the 

 faitei! trotters in England. It follows not, 

 however, from thence, that equally good flock 

 may not be bred in any of the other counties, 

 provided they have as good flallions and 

 mares, and purfue the bufinefs with as much 

 induftry. I was laughed at on all fides, fome 

 vears ago, for referring the whole matter to 

 cuftom, plenty of land, and convenience; and 

 for aflerting, that horfe-breeding might be 

 carried on elfewhere, with equal or even fupe- 

 rior advantages to thole experienced in York- 

 fhire. The influence of cuftom over the human 

 mind is truly wonderful, and beyond all doubt 

 the real caufe of the tardy progrefs of improve- 

 ment. 



