104 . THE HUNTER. 



perfect, and with substance, is peculiarly fitted for 

 what a hunter is called upon to perform ; and those 

 persons who assert to the contrary, can only do so 

 in ignorance of the nature of his constituent parts. 

 He has more depth and declivity in the shoulders 

 than the lower bred horse has, and is consequently 

 clearer in his wind. By these means, he can bet- 

 ter extend and elevate his fore-feet in going over 

 rough ground, and at his leaps ; and, by the curve 

 or circular figure he makes with his hinder-legs, he 

 stands more secure on all kinds of ground, and, 

 above all things, he bears being pressed better than 

 any other description of horse ; for, although blown, 

 he soon recovers his wind. Having said this, it 

 may scarcely be necessary to add, that several of 

 our first-rate sportsmen of the present day will not 

 ride any thing that is not of full blood ; and such 

 description of horse, when perfect in his work, as 

 well as in his form, commands the highest price. 



Nevertheless, the necessity for the thorough-bred 

 horse in the field is belied, by the experience of all 

 unprejudiced sportsmen ; and even in Leicester- 

 shire, where the best studs are to be found, not a 

 twentieth part of the hunters are of that descrip- 

 tion. But this perhaps arises from three causes. 

 First, there is a difficulty in procuring full-bred 

 horses to carry even moderate weights, and speed 

 is but a second attribute to a hunter. He must 

 have sundry other qualifications ; and the most 

 prevailing objections to the thorough-bred horse 

 are generally these. He is apt to be deficient in 

 substance to carry high weights over rough and 



