48 How to Purchase a Horse. 



cular quarters, and gaskins well let down to the hocks, and 

 clean, firm legs and feet. He must be temperate, with 

 plenty of courage, and have a good mouth and manners. 

 His size will vary from 15 hands 1 in. to 16 hands 2 in., 

 according to the weight he has to carry and the descrip- 

 tion of country he has to cross. From 15 hands 3 in. to 

 16 hands 2 in. is perhaps the best size for the flying grass 

 countries, while from 15 hands i in. to 15 hands 3 in. will 

 be found better and handier for the close deep country. 



The Irish hunter is very much improved of late years. 

 From the importation into Ireland of some of the best- 

 bred English stallions, they have lost a good deal of the 

 mean appearance they formerly had, are better bred and 

 better looking, with deeper and longer quarters. The 

 Irish horse had generally a small neat head, oblique but 

 rather weak shoulders, short back ribs, and mean, droop- 

 ing quarters — all which has been very much improved, 

 and some very first-class horses are now bred in Ireland. 

 They are generally very clever, particularly good timber- 

 jumpers — better adapted, perhaps, for the close heavy 

 countries than the grass. When honest and good-tempered 

 they are very pleasant to ride, but from often being tricky 

 and shifty, require care in purchasing. The price of the 

 hunter depends very much on his breed, appearance, 

 manners, and ability. For the grass countries it would 

 vary from jQi 00 to ^300, and for the close plough coun- 

 tries from ;£8o to ^200. 



The amount of work that may be fairly expected of a 

 hunter is one day a week with staghounds and three days 

 a fortnight with foxhounds. From being particularly liable 

 to accidents from blows, thorns, over-reaches, &c, it will 

 generally be found that out of a stud of four, one will be 

 hors de combat. The best and hardiest colours are bay, 

 brown, dark chestnut, and black. Light chestnuts are very 

 often hot and irritable, and also bad feeders when put to 

 work. Horses with short back ribs, too, are almost inva- 

 riably bad feeders. 



Hunters go in all forms, but a loose, weak neck and 

 twisted fore-legs are always to be avoided. The former is 

 the most dangerous fault a hunter can have : it is impos- 



