How to Purchase a Horse. 47 



on the road — to say nothing of riding him to hounds — 

 however good he may be represented to be. 



The best colours for ladies' horses are bay, brown, dark 

 chestnut, or black. There is an old saying, that " A good 

 horse cannot be a bad colour ; " and though no purchaser 

 should decline to buy one that is likely to suit him on 

 account of colour, those I have named are to be preferred. 



The price of horses differs so greatly, and depends so 

 much on their make, style, and qualifications, that it is 

 difficult to name an average one ; but a good ladies' horse, 

 either for the road or the field, is always worth from ;£ioo 

 to ^150, 



The Hunter. 



In selecting a hunter it is necessary to bear in mind the 

 country in which he is to be ridden. In the grass countries 

 of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, &c, the hunter must 

 be nearly if not quite thorough-bred : the enclosures being 

 large, the fences strong, and the scent over the grass good, 

 nothing but blood can go the pace and keep on jumping. 

 The reason is this : when going with hounds the thorough- 

 bred is never really extended, but is always going within 

 himself, while the half-bred is going all the time at the 

 top of his pace, and necessarily becomes much sooner 

 exhausted. 



In a close country, on the contrary, the half-bred hunter 

 is preferred. The pace is not so fast, and the horse is con- 

 stantly eased by being pulled up and steadied at the fences; 

 for it is a well-known fact that fences stop hounds more 

 than they do horses. In countries of this description, as 

 Essex, Herts, Surrey, &c, the land is generally ploughed, 

 wet and heavy, the enclosures are smaller, and the fences 

 being principally bank and ditch, must be taken steadily 

 and carefully. I have seen some quite common half-bred 

 horses go remarkably well over a close country that could 

 not live for five minutes over the grass countries. 



The points essential to a hunter are a lean head and 

 neck, well set on to good oblique shoulders, a strong back 

 and loin, wide hips, a deep body and back ribs, good mus- 



