CHAPTER X 



THE HORSE FOR THE GRASS COUNTRIES {continued) 



Performance and Pedigree — Shape — Mares — Necessary Qualities 

 for Leicestershire — Fences — Where to Buy — The Right Breed 

 — Yorkshire — Cheshire — Leicestershire — Arabs — Dealers — 

 Judging a Horse — Prices — Care in Choosing. 



II 



There are two considerations of importance in choosing 

 a horse on which to ride across Leicestershire that I 

 should put before anything else. First, the animal's 

 own performances, for you are naturally not coming 

 to Melton or Harborough to ride unmade horses ; and 

 secondly, if you have to buy a horse without seeing 

 him in the field or having a trial, do not take one that 

 has not a pedigree with some racing or hunting names 

 in it. But supposing that you see a horse that you 

 like in the summer, when the opportunities of trying 

 him over a country are limited — never mind about 

 trials over made-up fences, I have known many bad 

 hunters to perform exceedingly well over artificial 

 jumps — the best test is to take a horse on to a ridge 

 and furrow pasture on a hill side and walk, trot and 

 canter him up and down the crossway of the furrows. 

 This ought to tell you a great deal about him, more 

 indeed than any other one test can possibly do. 



If I were asked to buy a horse from one point only, 

 or perhaps it would be more sensible to say, were I 



