THE HUNTER 67 



in proportion to his size than any other breed, but that 

 at the end of a long, hard gallop through deep fields, 

 which has reduced the underbred horse to a walk, 

 he will struggle gallantly on, galloping and jumping 

 till he drops in his tracks. " Though many an active 

 underbred horse is gifted with a surprising burst of 

 speed for a short distance, it cannot sustain the effort, 

 and is soon done up, and it is in the power of main- 

 taining pace and strength when blown that the thor- 

 oughbred excels all others. Moreover, a good-tem- 

 pered docile blood horse can scarcely be put to any 

 description of work in which he will not beat the 

 low-bred animal, in proportion to the powers of the 

 individual. Even in moving heavy weights it is 

 astounding what a light-looking thoroughbred horse 

 can achieve. There is on record a match, which took 

 place at Dycers Repository in Stephens Green, Dublin, 

 about sixty years ago. . . . The question to be 

 solved was whether a thoroughbred could stand up 

 under as great a weight as a low-bred horse. . . . 

 Only two-year olds could be obtained at such short 

 notice to champion the race, and weight was piled up 

 until the cart-bred animal lay down. The thorough- 

 bred not only stood up under the same burden, but 

 actually walked out of the yard with the weight on 

 its back, which amounted to nearly twenty-four stone" 

 (326 pounds).* 



We now come to the most important of all a hunter's 

 qualities, i. e., his ability to jump. He may be a 

 picture to look at, and have gaits as easy as a rocking- 



* "The Horse," by Colonel Meysey-Thompson. This illustration 

 is only given to show what the high courage of the thoroughbred will 

 enable him to do. It goes without saying that for long-sustained 

 pulls of heavy weights the draft breeds are the best adapted. 



