PECrL[AR METHOD OF LEAPING. 159 



and lie stands his work well, if not too much abused 

 in his youth. Almost all Irish horses coming 

 under this description have been broken in to the 

 plough and the car, so they, for the most part, go 

 in harness ; but the worst fault they have is not 

 having been properly broken in, and bitted, which 

 is the cause of many of them being restive. 



The Irish hunter is a very different animal from 

 what he was half a century back. He was always 

 celebrated for leaping, but until lately the want of 

 breedinp' rendered him nearly useless as a hunter, 

 in the countries which require speed, as well as the 

 accomplishment of leaping. At the present time, 

 numbers of excellent well-bred Irish hunters are 

 annually imported into England, and being found 

 to answer well, fetch good prices. This is the re- 

 sult of horse-breeders in Ireland seeinsj the neceg- 

 sity of putting their hunting mares to thorough- 

 bred stallions, and not, as before, to the slow, preat- 

 jum2nng hunter, no matter how low^ his breed. The 

 improved cross, being again put to the thorough- 

 bred stallion, of course has produced a still better 

 kind of animal, and thus are Irish hunters " pro- 

 gressing'' toAvards perfection. 



The method of leaping of the native Irish horse 

 is peculiarly suited to some of our English coun- 

 ties, Cheshire and Lancashire, for example, and 

 likewise to those inclosed with walls both in Eng- 

 land and Scotland. To use an expressive Irish 

 phrase, " they have always a leg to spare," imply- 

 ing that they have a ready use of their hinder-legs ; 

 which is the fact, in tipping or touching walls or 



