Breeding Hunters 47 



enough to break. He may be expected to know some 

 things intuitively that his mother had to be taught, and to go 

 the right way about them from the first. A variation will 

 have been produced, slight although it may be. In Ire- 

 land, in-foal-mares are more often hunted than in any other 

 country, and where in the wide world can one find such 

 natural-born hunters as in the Emerald Isle? I shall have 

 occasion to refer to some practical illustrations of this under 

 the chapter on "Schooling." 



To my readers who have never given thought to this 

 particular point in the science of breeding I beg to offer 

 encouragement in it. If they are wanting in faith, let me 

 ask what proofs they have that animals as well as men are 

 not affected for good or ill in embryo ? I should advise all 

 such to begin their research by reading the experiments of 

 Jacob and his receipt for producing spotted cattle, and fol- 

 low this up with the volumes of scientific matter touching 

 heredity. So firmly am I convinced of the great impor- 

 tance of this question that I believe the day will come 

 when the best breeders will recognise it as a fundamental 

 principle in the art of breeding for improvement. 



The object most desired in the breeding of hunters is 

 the production of quality plus size. It is no trick at all to 

 turn out small horses with quality. Horses of from fifteen 

 to fifteen and a half hands often have quality to spare. 

 The problem is to be able to obtain sixteen-hand horses 

 and over which have body and bone and substance through- 

 out in proportion to their increased size, and still retain in 

 them the quality of the finer and smaller animals. The 

 general method of selecting as sire the largest stallion that 



