. I 



THE HUNTER. 123 



collar, and then with a colt bit, or better still, the ring bit, 

 such as is generally seen in the mouths of yearlings at sales, 

 and if a little rug be put over him at times, and if the attend- 

 ant occasionally bear a little on him, breaking to harness or 

 saddle will generally be attended with no difficulty whatever. 



At this stage of the proceedings some very important con- 

 siderations come in. The breeder may be an excellent man 

 for breeding, i.e., he may be a good judge of mares and stal- 

 lions ; he may be thoroughly up to the work of treating his 

 mare properly while she is in foal, and he may know all about 

 handling and taking care of young stock ; but he may be no 

 horseman, and may be by nature unfitted to undertake the 

 task of breaking or making a hunter. In such cases, it is 

 submitted, the breeder would do well to sell his youngster to 

 the first person who will pay him a sum which represents a 

 fair working profit. It may be urged that by-and-by this 

 horse may be sold for 200, ^"300, or ^"400 ; so he may, but 

 let not this consideration trouble the mind of the breeder. By 

 selling young he has the minimum of risk, and possesses that 

 bird in the hand which is proverbially said to be worth two in 

 the bush. We have somehow come to regard breeding and 

 breaking and making as one man's work, whereas it is really 

 the task of two men, though of course some have the gift of 

 doubling the parts ; but when a horse is old enough to be sold 

 as a hunter, the price paid for him depends upon something 

 more than good looks : his manners and performances must 

 be good if a large sum is to be given for him, unless, of course, 

 he is good looking enough to be bought for show purposes. 



Unless, therefore, the breeder or one of his family be a suf- 

 ficiently good horseman to undertake the breaking and making 

 of a hunter, the breeder is best out of his colt as soon as he can 

 dispose of him at a profit, as if he does not carry himself well, 

 move in good form, and jump freely, cleverly, and temperately, 

 he will never pay the breeder for keeping till he is four or five 

 years old. It may, however, be necessary to adopt a middle 

 course, that is to say, the breeder may, through lack of offers, 



