HOW TO MAKE MONEY BY ffOESES. 51 



shewn himself a very middling race-horse or even 

 (as regards speed) a bad one, he may be quite likely 

 to prove a most valuable sire to get hunters — far 

 more so than many a flyer worth his couple of 

 thousand as a race-horse. Health, temper, stoutness, 

 and natural soundness, are the first and greatest 

 recommendations in a sire to produce hunters ; speed 

 is of little moment, for it is comparative; and a 

 horse slow as a coach across the Flat, would be fast 

 enough, provided he be good enough, to lead in 

 crossing even Leicestershire. 



Good looks in a sire are of great importance, 

 where profit is the breeder's chief object ; and should 

 the sire be an untried one, though beauty may not 

 be sure to beget beauty, still the chance of such 

 result must not be neglected. No doubt if a sire 

 has shewn that he begets handsome stock, it does 

 not matter much what his own looks may be ; but 

 even in such case a very handsome sire, that begot 

 stock as good-looking as the other, would be vastly 

 to be preferred if attainable by no more, or little 

 more, expense or trouble ; for should the mare, from 



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