ON THE HACKNEY AND HUNTER, l83 



incur the rifk of driving him to the everlafting 

 habit of flying out of the road ; a charming 

 practice, in dark nights, and dangerous ways. 



As for the fize of Horfes, perhaps fixteen 

 hands ought to be the extreme, for whatever 

 purpofe, either of faddle or draught. I believe, 

 on the ftrength of my own experience, and 

 what I more refpecl:, the opinions of men who 

 have had the Iongeft and greater! practice, that all 

 poflible advantages may be concentred within 

 that compafs, and numberlefs difadvantages re- 

 fultinff from over-fize, avoided. It has been faid, 

 that " a great, good horfe, will beat a little one ;' 

 and there is no doubt, but where the goodnefs, in 

 all points, is equal, the largefl rauft be the bed; 

 but we generally find, in all animals, that as 

 they advance beyond the ufual ftandard, they 

 lofe in fymmetry, in proportion as they gain in 

 bulk. It is rare to fee a man, of fix feet fix, well 

 fhaped. Among Horfes, perhaps, the fmalleft 

 fize, or ponies, are, upon the average, of the 

 trueft make. The Latins fay, Ineft fua gratia 

 parvis — what is little, is pretty. 



A hunter, or charger, fhould be between fif- 

 teen hands, and fifteen three. It is obvious, that 

 in the field, low Horfes can never clear their leaps 

 fo well, or carry a man fo gallantly over the coun- 

 try, as thofe of a commanding fize. The molt 

 advantageous height of a hack, is between four- 

 teen and fifteen hands one inch. A lady's horfe, 

 either for road, or field, fhould never exceed 



N 4 fifteen, 



