2 20 The Book of the Horse. 



sale (1873) have, at least, two crosses of blood. They are by Fingall, Park-keeper, Porto Rico, 

 Chit-chat, Antwerp, Medas, Mr. Sykes, Dublin, Hercules, and Alchemist. 



" You ask what is a cob } I hate the term, and never use it. I think pony covers every 

 horse under 14 hands 2 inches, and hack all riding-horses above that size not being hunters. 

 My object is to get ponies from 13 hands 3 inches to 14 hands 2 inches, as much like 

 good hunters as possible ; and I flatter myself, if I may believe the best judges, I have often 

 succeeded." 



It will be seen from this that Mr. Milward claims nearly all Arabs as ponies, for an Arab 

 over 14 hands 2 inches is an exception. 



London is the best mart for the purchase of a well-broken pony of any kind ; and, next to 

 London, some of the great manufacturing towns of the north, such as Manchester, where the 

 great patron of a good pony, the sporting publican, abounds. I say this advisedly, because the 

 Royal Agricultural Society and the Bath and West of England Society have more than once 

 oftered prizes for ponies at Southampton, in the New Forest district ; at Plymouth and Exeter, 

 near the E.xmoor and Dartmoor districts ; at Chester and at Cardiff, for North and South 

 Wales ; but the entries in these places have been limited in number, and never remarkable 

 for quality, whilst at all the Agricultural Hall shows, where the entry fee is more than four 

 times that of agricultural societies, the great trouble of the manager has been to keep the 

 entries of ponies within fifty, and the excellence of the harness-pony classes has repeatedly 

 called forth the admiration of the judges. In 1872, when the judges were the Earl of Shannon, 

 Lord Calthorpe, and Colonel Maude, C.B., the Crown Equerry, the whole class for ponies not 

 exceeding 13 hands 3 inches was "highly commended;" and again in 1873, when Sir George 

 , Wombwell acted with Colonel Maude. 



Those who are willing to speculate in unbroken ponies may suit themselves at English 

 fairs where droves of Welsh and Irish colts are regularly sent, as well as at local horse fairs in 

 Wales and in Devonshire. As a rule the best ponies are bred on mountain regions, where 

 short sweet herbage abounds, where keen winters carry off the cripples and the narrow-chested, 

 and where they learn activity and the full use of their limbs while running beside their dams. 

 A mountain-bred pony never falls unless over-weighted or over-tired, and it is very difficult to 

 tire one. 



Ponies bred on wild rough land are certainly not so subject to the numerous diseases of 

 an inflammatory character that are the curse of studs, where horses of the finest pedigree are 

 bred and reared with as much care and more expense than is bestowed on the most aristocratic 

 babies. Like Red Indians, only those of stout constitution survive the hardships of infancy or 

 foalhood ; ponies that have reached maturity and been broken to harness or saddle are more 

 likely to be sound than full -sized horses, because only the best are worth sending for sale out 

 V)f their native localities. 



PANNIER PONY. 



The pony that is to carry panniers balanced by two babies should be good-looking, 

 because such an arrangement is essentially a lu.xury. A good-tempered donkey is a safer con- 

 veyance, although not so aristocratic. Therefore the pannier pony should have a nice round barrel 

 and broad back, "two good ends" — viz., a pretty head and well-carried tail — should walk well and 

 freely, and above all be perfectly quiet, insensible to the strangest sights and sounds, and in- 

 capable of an excess of freshness. 



By a good walker is meant an easy, willing, elastic walker —one that glides smoothly 



