DIRECTIONS FOR BREEDING. 75 



US a useful lesson on this head ; for it is well known, 

 on the other hand, that a great number of stallions 

 to which English hunting mares have been put, 

 have been equally remarkable for begetting soft 

 infirm stock, quite unequal to endure, for any length 

 of time, the severe work of a hunter. It should 

 also be borne in mind, that even a first-rate racer 

 may not be a propagator of first-rate hunters. The 

 former is called upon to exert his powers on very 

 different ground, and under very difi"erent weight 

 to the latter, and the action which may suit one 

 may not suit the other. This accounts for the 

 stock of certain thorough-bred horses, which were 

 very indifferent racers, proving very excellent hunt- 

 ers. We have already given it as our opinion, that 

 a cross of Arabian blood is a great desideratum in 

 that of an English hunter, and we need not urge 

 this point farther; but if breeders would reflect, 

 that the expenses of rearing a bad colt equal those 

 of rearing a good one, they would attend more than 

 they do to the following nearly unerring directions. 

 Firsts Observe peculiarity of shape in horse and 

 mare. As length of frame is indispensable in a 

 hunter, if the mare be short, seek for a stallion 

 likely to give her length. Again, if the mare be 

 high on her legs, put her to a short-legged stallion, 

 and mce versa ; for it is possible that even a hunt- 

 er's legs may be too short, a racer's certainly may 

 be. In fact, to form a complete hunter, it is neces- 

 sary he should be more perfect in his shape than a 

 racer, which will admit of imperfections that would 

 quite disqualify the other. 



