THE HUNTER AND STEEPLECHASER. 245 



The Hunter and Steeplechaser. — i. The fore hand 

 should be light. This point is of special importance in the 

 Leicestershire hunter, the goodness of whose shoulders is 

 probably more severely tested by the ridge and furrow than 

 by the jumping, which is particularly trying, owing to the 

 fact that the animal must *' spread " himself out and go fast. 

 Many hunters which would be of no use in Leicestershire, on 

 account of having heavy shoulders, perform brilliantly in 

 Ireland, where jumping on and off banks, and galloping on a 

 smooth surface do not '' find out '' their weak point. 



2. It is a defect in the cross-country horse to be higher at 

 the croup than at the withers, or even to be the same height 

 at these parts (pp. 1 30 and 40) ; for he requires to be light in 

 front, and to have the bones of his fore limbs comparatively 

 long, so as to be able to efficiently raise his fore hand, both 

 when taking off and landing. 



3. The shoulder-blades and pasterns should be long and 

 sloping. 



4. The muscles which lie along the front portion of the 

 shoulder-blade, and the lump of muscle above the fore arm 

 should be well-developed (Fig, 329) ; as the former straighten 

 the shoulder joint, and the latter straighten the elbow joint ; 

 two actions which help to prevent the horse from falling^ when 

 he lands over a jump. 



5. The muscles over the loins, behind the saddle, should 

 be particularly strong (p. 52). 



6. The hocks should be large ; and their straightening 

 power (the gaskins) broad. 



On page 208, I have alluded to the favour which hunting 

 men in Ireland accord to goose-rumped hunters, and which 

 is fully justified in practice. ^ 



A high-class Leicestershire hunter is undoubtedly the 

 best type of horse in the world ; for he unites in himself the 

 greatest number of useful qualities : speed, strength, staying 

 power, cleverness, courage, good manners and mouth. The 

 speed possessed by that fine steeplechaser, The Doctor, 

 made him all the better hunter in The Shires. We may 



