242 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



all his paces, and on all trying occasions. No part of 

 his frame was wide but there was a little rise behind 

 the saddle, or more properly speaking in the loins, the 

 effect of which was powerfully felt by his rider. His 

 quarters were rather short but his thighs long and 

 muscular and his hocks fit for models. He had the 

 knee of a wagon horse, a very sinall shankhone hut a large 

 leg to span, and no day's work appeared to make the 

 slightest impression on his legs, which from his standing 

 over at the knee were always on the totter in the stable." 

 The writer goes on to say that he had remarkably long 

 fetlocks, to which he says, rightly, was to be attributed 

 his very springy action as well as power in dirt. I 

 have myself a great liking for long pasterns, even so 

 long as to be regarded as weak, and an equal prejudice 

 for work in the grass countries against pasterns in 

 the least degree short and upright. I believe that 

 long pasterns, from the ease and spring that they give 

 to the action, are among the points that contribute to 

 the staying power. 



But to return to Spring, I cannot imagine a better 

 description, not indeed of an ideal, but of a likely 

 Leicestershire hunter. I have italicised the points 

 which made him what he was, and the reader will note 

 those which might have caused a man who bought his 

 horses by the look to turn away from him. His per- 

 formances were notable ; no fence came amiss to him. 

 He would refuse nothing he was ridden at and would 

 do his best to get over it. Of his power of endurance 

 we read that on one occasion, after having spent 

 twenty minutes in the Cherwell and being nearly 

 drowned, his master, with small credit to his humanity, 

 rode him for a beautiful burst of eight or ten miles, 

 " Spring going as if nothing had happened." He was 

 an upstanding horse of about 15.3. 



