74 THE HORSE 



of the season. It is work that should commence m August 

 or September and be carried right on until November, 

 when the animal's work and the owner's sport may be 

 expected to commence. Purchase from a private source, 

 when reasonable facility is given for trial, can be recom- 

 mended. A week or two's trial is not at all an unreason- 

 able request, provided that the vendor is satisfied that 

 the animal is placed in capable hands. When a horse is 

 on trial, under these conditions, it rests with the intending 

 purchaser to take all reasonable care of the animal, other- 

 wise he becomes responsible in damages to the proprietor 

 should anything go wrong. Nothing but a trial can give 

 complete satisfaction, yet plenty of buyers have to take 

 their chances as to how the animal will turn out. Un- 

 made hunters are bought at three and four years old, 

 particularly at some of the principal fairs in Ireland. 

 Horses which have been regularly hunting for several 

 seasons, say four or five, are usually abou/^ ten years old 

 when offered for sale, and this is the class of animal which 

 frequently comes up for auction, and also for sale by 

 private treaty. We should not recommend the purchase 

 of an animal required for use as a hunter after twelve to 

 fifteen years old, although it must not be assumed that a 

 horse is no use for this purpose after the age specified, as 

 there are plenty of hunters doing good work when they 

 have reached a score of years or even more. Space forbids 

 us to enter into details concerning hunters, but we have 

 endeavoured to indicate one or two matters which may 

 be of some interest to the reader. In conclusion, we may 

 say that no hunter should do any real work before it is 

 five years off, otherwise it will be prematurely damaged, 



Ponies 



The various breeds of ponies comprise the Shetland, 

 Welsh, Exmoor, New Forest, Irish, Highland, Fell, and 

 Moorland ponies. Thoroughbred and Hackney ponies. 



