234 THE HORSE. 



The chief instrument made use of to lighten the 

 old southern hound was always understood to have 

 been the stallion greyhound, with perhaps a further 

 single cross of the pointer. Certainly, the improved 

 hounds which came under my early notice, seemed 

 plainly to indicate a greyhound cross. It ought to 

 have been stated above, that an earlier and partial 

 improvement had taken place in the hound, whence 

 arose the old distinction of the southern and the 

 northern hound. The pointer, originally a coarse, 

 bony, and ill formed animal imported from Spain, 

 has been also gradually improved to that lightness, 

 activity, and symmetry, which we now witness in the 

 breed. 



But it behoves me to bear in memory, that my 

 business is with the horse, rather than with dogs 

 or hunting specifically. The hunter then, for the 

 modern field, in any part of this country, ought to be 

 at least, three parts bred ; and for whatever pack, 

 even that of Melton Mowbray, seven eights, for a 

 variety of reasons, is probably more eligible than full 

 blood. The former can race as has been sufficiently 

 often, and signally proved, should a fair field for 

 racing occur. He is not usually so high upon the leg 

 as the full bred horse, nor so great and inconvenient 

 a strider, and is easier to be found of a true hunting- 

 form ; he should be of a size and height adequate to 

 a sufficient command and cover in his fencing, with 

 ample substance in his shoulders, loins, and fillets, to 

 endure without flinching, the strain and jar of that 

 weight which they must necessarily sustain in land- 

 ing on the other side the fence. Tough and strong 

 feet are obviously necessary for flinty and hilly coun- 



