62 "" HINTS TO HORSEMEN ; OB, 



posed him to be liberally treated ; some, doubtless, 

 will think I have stated what to them may appear 

 unnecessary profusion. This, however, I must say : 

 in speaking of the advantages and disadvantages of 

 breeding, in comparison with tliose of purchasing, I 

 have ever said that no man will put a fine young 

 horse that he has bred himself into his hunting stable 

 much under a hundred, and that before he can be 

 called a hunter and be fit to take the place of one, 

 he will cost considerably more, for we must not call 

 a four years' old a hunter. Though in the hunting 

 stable, he must only be there to be shown hounds, 

 and ridden for his tuition, not for the master's grati- 

 fication in a chase. It is true, our Irish neighbours 

 do regularly hunt four years' old horses. Whether 

 we are to account for their young horses becoming 

 this in the way Pat will sometimes account for their 

 large families, by saying, " Troth ! it's the prates does 

 it," I know not, but such is the case ; notwithstand- 

 ing which, I feel quite convinced few of our young 

 English-bred four years' old could be thus early put 

 to hard work with impunity. 



