PURCHASE OF A HUNTER. ] 07 



chasing one, addressing him in the colloquial 

 style. 



First, bear in mind the country you are about 

 to hunt in, whether flat, hilly, firm, soft, open, or 

 enclosed, and refer to the remarks we have made 

 on the sort of horse we have adapted to each ; only 

 be assured, that, in an open country, especially if 

 a hilly one, nothing has a chance with a thorough- 

 bred horse, in good form, and not over- weighted. 

 Secondly, consider well your weight, and be sure 

 to have at least a stone to spare. A light man on 

 a light horse throws away all the advantage of 

 being light, and can go no faster, or leap larger 

 fences, than a heavy man on a strong horse, for 

 strength will he served. Until you try him, it is 

 hard to say what horse will make a hunter, but the 

 following indices may induce you to try him : — If 

 he appear well-bred, with a loose, bright skin, 

 which may be called his complexion ; observe that 

 his hair does not stand hollow from the skin, par- 

 ticularly about the poll of his neck. If you find 

 him standing over a good deal of ground, it is a 

 sure sign that he has got length where it ought to 

 be ; not in the back, but from the obliquity of his 

 shoulders, and the arm being set on at the extreme 

 point of his shoulder, which so much contributes to 

 the act of extension of the fore-parts in galloping, 

 leaping, and clearing grips. Next examine minutely 

 his thighs and hocks, being especially careful to 

 observe the position of the point of the hock-bone. 

 Above all things, avoid a short, and also an over- 

 topped horse. The former will never carry you to 



