EXPERIENCES OF BREEDERS. 267 



breeding see that they have good shoulders, but avoid 

 those with high, narrow withers, as these ponies 

 measure high, and do not carry weight. 



" Some people think that by putting a small mare 

 pony to a large thorough-bred, they may get polo 

 ponies ; but this plan is very risky, and these small 

 ponies will often throw animals much too large for polo ; 

 but there is this advantage common to all misfits for 

 polo that are bred from good animals on both sides, 

 that you are sure to produce a good, hardy animal, 

 that, be he too large or too small, will be available for 

 some purpose." 



All the above valuable information appeared in an 

 article, written by Lord Harrington, in '' The Polo 

 Magazine," of March, 1895, and his opinions carry 

 more weight than would those of any one that I can 

 think of ; for he has been at the game for many years, 

 breeding almost entirely his own hunters and polo 

 ponies, and has been most successful with both. 



Mr. Hill's opinion about breeding is that a founda- 

 tion stock is required of pure pony blood, and in his 

 Preface to Vol. I. of the " Polo Pony Stud Book," he 

 writes : "I have no hesitation in saying that there is no 

 safer or more appropriate foundation for the object 

 which the Society has in view than this pure Welsh 

 pony blood. There are several distinct types of these 

 ponies. First, the small, hardy, mountain-bred ones, 

 standing 11 to 12 hands high ; secondly, those bred on 

 the lower grounds, and from 13.3 to 14.2 hands ; and 

 thirdly, the cob of from 14.2 to 15 hands. Although 

 quite distinct in appearance and height, still they have 

 the same family likeness and true ' pony ' character 

 action, and hair, perfectly different to that of the 



