164 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



It is to prevent these raw recruits in the show ring 

 from making all sorts of faux pas that the following 

 chapter is intended. Veterans at the game will find 

 but little or nothing in the way of advice that they 

 do not already know. 



The show saddle horse should be a superlatively 

 fine example of the saddle horse described in Chapter 

 III, with as perfect manners and gaits as it is possible 

 to obtain. Whereas a slight deficiency in training 

 such as a reluctance to change leads, to back, to stand 

 quietly, or refrain from jiggling at a walk might pos- 

 sibly be overlooked iu an animal destined merely for 

 pleasure riding, in the show animal every failing and 

 fault will count materially against him. 



Generally speakng, the more " quality" or breeding 

 a horse possesses, the more chance he will have of win- 

 ning. In England, nothing but a thoroughbred would 

 have much chance, but here many Kentucky horses and 

 trotting-bred varieties are found among the winners. 

 Granted that a good horse of any breed or cross what- 

 ever is better than a poor thoroughbred, the reason 

 that so few good thoroughbred saddlers ever appear 

 in the show ring here is because the judges selected 

 are those who prefer the high action and peacocky 

 carriage of the Kentucky horse to the smoother gaits 

 of the thoroughbred. After Mr. F. Vivian Gooch came 

 to America, just prior to the war, the situation changed 

 in favor of the thoroughbred, but during the war few 

 English judges came here, and few well-broken thor- 

 oughbreds were exhibited, so the old state of affairs 

 gradually came back again, until to-day, many owners 

 of handsome thoroughbreds find it useless to exhibit 

 their animals. A prominent exhibitor said to me not 

 long ago: "Yes I agree with you, I prefer to ride a thor- 

 oughbred, but what's the use? If you want to win 



