THE IKISH HUNTER. 



and spurring, none of the riders caring an iota more for the ned- 

 dj's kicking up, than neddj cared for his rider's spurring, or 

 losing so much as a stirrup in the race. 



Before passing to the next branch of my subject, I suppose 

 I should saj a word as to the Irish hunter, as he is, in some sort, 

 a distinct animal ; not as producing himself from original pa- 

 rents, but as originating from a cross of the thoroughbred with 

 the native Irish horse, and as possessing a peculiar way of going, 

 which, at first, I presuine, acquired in conformity with the re- 

 quirements of the country he is called upon to cross, has be- 

 come characteristic, and now appears to be native to the breed, 

 as it seems to be " to the manner born," 



The Irish hunter is in general a less highly-bred horse than 

 his English competitor ; not often, I should say, having more 

 than two crosses of pure blood, and is not unfrequently some- 

 what ragged in his shapes. 



He has, almost always, a good forehand and crest, not a 

 particularly blood-shaped head, but bony and well set on. He 

 is so often goose-rumped as to render that point, in some degree, 

 one of his characteristic marks ; and, in the old day, if he had 

 been long in his own country, he was too often nicked, so as to 

 make him carry his dock curled over his rump, greatly to the 

 detriment of liis appearance, and tending to make him look 

 even less blood-like than he really is. 



His legs and feet are almost invariably good ; he is apt, I 

 think, to be a little short and straight on his pasterns, but is 

 sound and sure-footed. He is quick, rather than fast ; nimble, 

 rather than sAvift ; a clever jumper, rather than a slashing 

 fencer. 



He goes, owing to the nature of his country, wherein there 

 is little, comparatively speaking, of good galloping ground, the 

 soil being for the most part either deep and soft, or broken, 

 rugged and stony, far more within himself and upon his haunches, 

 and far less extended, than an English hunter. Eor wall-leap- 

 ing, where there are no ditches, he is unrivalled, though very 

 uneasy and difficult to sit ; taking nothing in his fly, but stop- 

 ping short with his forefeet almost in contact with the obstacle, 

 and then bucking over it with all his legs together, and alight- 

 ing not unusually on his hind feet— a practice, which, however 



