EX PEDE HERCULEM. 179 



with a man on their back willingly ; nor would Bran, 

 or Ratcatcher, or Sir Hercules : but supposing the 

 three latter were not as racers what they were, had I 

 been fortunate enough to have got them, I rather 

 think, that after I had had them six months, I could 

 on them with hoiuids have been there or thei^eahouts. 

 So far from being thorough-bred militating agahist a 

 horse being a fencer, I maintain it to be a great point 

 in his favour. Thorough-bred liorses are generally 

 better made for spring and propelling powers in their 

 quarters than other horses. This is just what we 

 Avant to make a leaper ; their only fault is one that a 

 little judgment and patience will rectify, the want 

 of having been taught. The great requisites for a 

 hunter are speed, spring, wind, and durability : all 

 these the thorough-bred possesses beyond all compa- 

 rison in greater perfection than other horses. Why, 

 then, should they not make hunters ? Only, as I 

 before said, get them strong enough. Seventy-four 

 knew nothing of fencing when he was first put 

 to steeple-racing, and I believe was particularly 

 awkward at it ; but he learned to jump afterwards ; 

 so they will all with practice. I do not mean 

 practice with hounds : this, till he knows something 

 about it, I consider the worst practice a young horse 

 can have. He is in a hurry, and the rider is in a 

 hurry ; consequently the thing is done in a hurried 

 and slovenly manner, if done at all ; and at best he 

 only gets over somehow. One month's practice, taking 

 the horse out with another, where you can pick proper 

 fences for him, and bring him on from one thing to 

 another, will teach him more than six months with 

 hounds. They need not be large ones either: the 

 horse, after having been taught to jump coolly and to 



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