THE HUNTER. 121 



to a sire bred in the same way and of the same character as 

 the dam, it would be doing -wrong. In real fact, there is no 

 danger in breeding by the nearest affinities, provided they 

 have developed no unhealthiness, and provided the animals 

 to be mated are both possessed, in a superior degree, of the 

 qualities which are sought to be established. 



"It is impossible to imagine why we should have post- 

 poned so long the breeding of weight-carriers on both sides 

 from animals of a type that would reproduce itself. For 

 we have acknowledged breeds in the thoroughbred, the 

 Hackney, and the Shetland. In heavier breeds we have 

 the Shire, Clydesdale, Suffolk, and Cleveland, all of which 

 varieties reproduce themselves without recourse to any out- 

 side alliances, and there seems to be no reason why a breed 

 to be hereafter called the * hunter sires ' or * weight -carrier 

 sires,' or by any other name should not be established in 

 the same way. 



"The haphazard system of continually using thoroughbred 

 sires, and this to mares which already have a large pro- 

 portion of thoroughbred blood, has not proved successful. 

 Those who have expended large sums of money in trying 

 to breed in this way weight-carrying hunters and sizeable 

 horses have acknowledged their failure. 



" To realise this truth, it is only necessary to read what 

 Lord Cathcart has written in the nineteenth volume of the 

 Royal Agricultural Society's Journal. The article occupies 

 fifty-five pages, and gives, with much information, the opinion 

 of numerous practical breeders. 



" If my opinion were to be asked, and I had to advise 

 briefly what should be done I would say, ' breed from a 

 stallion, other than a thoroughbred one, which has a strain 

 of hunter blood in his pedigree,' or select a thoroughbred 

 stallion that possesses the shape and make of a hunter, and 

 is capable of carrying a 14 stone man to hounds. If he 

 be mated with a hunter-mare of known descent one that 

 has carried not less than 14 stone to hounds, has won hunter 



