THE HUNTER. 



435 



An ordinary racer runs at the rate of a mile in less than two 

 minutes ; but some much faster. The famous Flying Childers, 

 acomplished eighty-two feet and a half in a second, or nearly 

 a mile in a minute. He ran round the Newmarket course, 

 nearly four miles in circumference, in six minutes and forty 

 seconds. Since his time, Eclipse, Matcher, and Highflyer, have 

 been the fleetest horses of their times. 



THE HUNTER. 



No country, perhaps, possesses a breed of horses to equal the 

 English hunter in its combined powers of speed and endurance. 

 It greatly excels even the racer in long continued perseverance. 

 A hunter should be from fifteen and a half to sixteen hands 

 high, with a rather small head, thin neck, ample chest, 

 slightly raised forehead, round and full barrel, compact body, 

 broad loins, thick muscular legs, shorter than those of the 

 racer, and well-formed, firm feet. To these essential points, 

 should be added the requisites of temper and courage. The 



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