HORSE FOR GRASS COUNTRIES 241 



width. It may be recollected, too, that a horse which 

 looks narrow and light will nevertheless gallop satis- 

 factorily under a considerable weight if he is deep 

 enough through the heart. For Leicestershire I do 

 not dislike a horse with a small head, provided the eye 

 is good and the head has " plenty of meaning in it." 

 Yet in buying horses it is a mistake to be so set on 

 one point, be it shoulders, or depth, or even the ex- 

 pression of the head and the full eye, important as these 

 are, as to refuse a horse absolutely because of some fall- 

 ing off from our ideal. Hunting is not like polo, for in 

 choosing ponies for that game we must remember there 

 are some points without which it is a physical impossi- 

 bility that a pony should be a good one. With hunters, 

 on the other hand, we can overlook a great deal. 



We all know the story of Osbaldeston's famous little 

 Cannon Ball horse, which was rejected by the Melton 

 hard riders. 



" A sweet horse, but has not length enough for 

 Leicestershire," said one ; while another brought his 

 tape out and observed that the horse was a mere weed. 

 The same day, during a run after a straight-necked 

 Owston Wood fox, the weed jumped six gates in 

 succession and went to the Squire for 200 guineas. 

 Here is another description from Nimrod of a horse 

 named Spring, which he considers to have been the 

 best he ever had. " His head was long with rather a 

 narrow and somewhat convex forehead, expressive of 

 anything but good temper, a very small muzzle the 

 colour of a hazel nut, and not large nostrils ; but his 

 jaw bones were remarkably far apart and the setting 

 on of his head and the form of his neck were perfect. He 

 was not wide between my legs, but the depth and extreme 

 declivity of his shoulders were such as to give his rider 

 unbounded confidence in his strength of forehand in 



Q 



