182 FINIS COUONAT OPUS. 



be too highly bred if strong, provided I got a sire of 

 good temper, sound constitution, and with lasting 

 qualities, I should not care one farthing about his 

 having been first-rate as a race-horse. In a general 

 way, I should say the horse that was not would get 

 the best stock as hunters : we want hunters to be 

 flyers as hunters, but we don't want Derby flying. 

 Elis is a favourite sire, very deservedly so in his way ; 

 but I would not put a mare to him to breed a hunter : 

 I could point out many at one-fifth of his price I 

 should greatly prefer. I have all the profound 

 respect for Elis he could wish, but I should not like 

 his prototype for a hunter. If horses are high bred 

 enough, be the blood what it may, if they are big 

 enough, they will generally be fast enough (for 

 hunters). I like a hunter with racing speed ; per- 

 sonally I do not call a horse half one that has not. I 

 mean, by racing speed, racing four-mile speed. A 

 race-horse may be able to go over the Beacon Course 

 under his eight minutes, but not be one to win many 

 general races ; yet I should like him mightily as a 

 hunter. It is not running four miles in a very short 

 time that wins races : a horse may do that, and be 

 found wanting in finishing ; it is the extraordinar}^ 

 extra exertion of a few strides that wins races. This 

 many good and honest horses cannot make, and are 

 beat by less intrinsically good ones who can. This is 

 not wanted in the hunter, but the four-mile stamina 

 is, and regular good honest slaves of race-horses are 

 the sort to get hunters. Speed is occasionally per- 

 petuated, but by no means to be calculated upon as a 

 certainty : I really think constitution is, if found in sire 

 and dam. Constitution is a great dosideratum in a 

 hunter, both as regards lasting for the day in severe 



