H4 LIGHT HORSES: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



there were eleven heavy weights and zi light weights. At 

 Islington, in 1889, there were 21 horses in the class to carry a 

 minimum of 15 stone; 28 in the middle weight class, and 25 

 in the light weight class. 



The moral of all this is, that while hunters up to weight are 

 difficult to rear, it is comparatively easy to breed light weight 

 horses, and that these should exist in such large numbers 

 proves that the breeding of weight carrying hunters of high 

 class is chance work. As already stated, no breeder possess- 

 ing common sense would lay himself out to breed light 

 weight horses in preference to weight carriers, because 

 experience has shown that the ranks of light weight hunters 

 are very largely recruited from failures. A man who rides 

 from 12 stone to 12 stone 7lbs can mount himself cheaply 

 enough, since he may ride either a weed or an under- 

 sized horse. In every country in England are light men who 

 get along and maintain a good place on. something not ex- 

 ceeding 15 hands ; and if one goes to Tattersall's, Aldridge's or 

 to any other repository, it is possible to see plenty of com- 

 petent light weight hunters knocked down at sums not ex- 

 ceeding jo, while a great many bring no more than ^"30 or 

 ^"40, or more properly speaking, guineas, while some are 

 obtainable at still lower prices. 



In the matter of general rules, therefore, we can get no 

 further than saying that the hunter brood-mare should possess 

 both size, strength, and breeding; and when we have all 

 these three requisites we must still be indebted largely to 

 chance. 



This brings us to the consideration of the question what is 

 a saleable horse ? To a certain extent we have discussed this 

 question already. He must have size, breeding and quality, 

 and, of course, jumping abilities of a high order. The " horse 

 for Leicestershire " is, in short, the horse to bring the most 

 money ; and whatever the theory of individuals may be, in 

 practice every one who can afford it buys a horse of this type, 

 no matter in what country he may hunt. Go to Northum- 



