416 THE HOKSE. 



weight — 140, 154, and 168 pounds, respectively — three parts, 

 two parts, and even half-bred horses are used in the plough 

 countries, by men who cannot afford to go the figure for blood. 

 But there is no such thing known as a horse got by a half-bred 

 horse, even out of a full-blooded mare, ever comnianding a price, 

 or going the pace, not quite, but even pretty, well, across a 

 country. 



For the hunter, therefore, in all recent times, since hounds 

 run, or almost fly, instead of trailing along on a slow scent, the 

 highest attainable degree of blood is desirable. 



At maximum prices, any man of any weight, who can pre- 

 tend to ride at all to hounds, if he choose to pay those prices, 

 can be carried up to hounds on thoroughbreds. 



And as to the idea of any man ever complaining that his 

 hunter is too thoroughbred, I can only compare it to his com- 

 plaining that his wife is too pretty. 



It may be replied, that as, in America, we have no fox- 

 hunting as a national sport, we, of course, need no hunters, 

 more than we do racers ; that hunting and racing are the amuse- 

 ments of the wealthy and privileged classes, only — are of no 

 practical utility, and therefore, so far from being encouraged, 

 ought actually to be discouraged. 



For such balderdash, as even this, is unblushingly thrust upon 

 the reluctant ears of men of common sense, by the blatant beasts 

 who bellow their practical utilitarianism into the bedimmed and 

 bedeafened brains of the groundlings. Nay, I have seen it pro- 

 mulgated of late by the ignorant fanatics, who are roused into 

 ludicrous frenzy by their perception of the returning sanity of 

 the masses, as evidenced by the favor with which the trials of 

 speed have been received at the agricultural exhibitions, in all 

 parts of the United States, that speed is a quality of no possible 

 advantage or utility in a horse. 



One would rejoice to learn what might be deemed an advan- 

 tage to the noble quadruped, speed being, doubtless, admitted 

 to he a high quality in a cow, as giving milk has long been 

 known to be the peculiar excellence of a pigeon. On the whole, 

 perhaps, the horse himself is decided to be of no practical util- 

 ity, and therefore to be dispensed with ; in which case my argu- 

 ments may be dispensed with also ; but until that shall be 



