16  Half-bred  Horses  for  Field  or  Road : 
air  sermon  he  would  naturally  preach  from  out  of  his  saddle ; 
and  his  nice  crisp  facts  are  a pleasant  and  friendly  response. 
Everywhere  in  demand  as  a judge  of  horses,  few  men  have  had 
greater  experience.  Mr.  Maynard,  moreover,  inherits  the  talents 
and  sporting  tastes  of  a name  inseparably  connected  with  the 
perfection  of  animal  form.  Old  Mr.  John  Maynard,  of  Harlsey 
Castle,  in  his  day  bred  and  bought  as  many  famous  hunters  as 
any  man.  In  the  days  of  old,  when  hardy  Shorthorns  indus- 
triously sought  for  scanty  provender  by  the  banks  of  the  Tees, 
and  as  often  as  not  calved  naturally  in  the  open  field,  Charles 
and  Robert  Collins  created  pedigree  Shorthorns  by  means  of  a 
bull  bought  out  of  a lane,  “ Hubback,”*  and  a heifer  bought  from 
old  John  Maynard,  whose  father  called  out,  as  the  heifer  was 
being  led  away  for  delivery, — “John!  we  have  plenty  better 
left  at  home!  ” The  distinguished  brothers  John  and  Anthony, 
with  the  latter  of  whom  I have  ridden  many  a mile,  always  said 
that  their  father  possessed  better  Shorthorns  than  they  had 
ever  seen  since.  “ And  what,”  it  may  be  said,  “ has  this  inte- 
resting fact  about  Shorthorns  to  do  with  half-bred  horses?”  I 
answer,  much.  It  goes  to  point  a moral,  and  to  adorn  a tale. 
So  called  flukey  breeding — regarding  form  not  record,  from 
the  skilful  selection  of  the  best  individual  animals,  may  be 
made,  by  specially  applied  talent,  to  approach  something  very 
like  the  certainty  of  science.  It  is  the  great  effect,  says 
Darwin,  produced  by  the  accumulation  in  one  direction  during 
successive  generations,  of  differences  to  an  uneducated  eye  abso- 
lutely inappreciable.  Not  one  man  in  a thousand  has  accuracy 
of  eye  and  judgment  ' sufficient  to  become  an  eminent  breeder. 
If  gifted  with  these  qualities,  and  he  studies  his  subject  for 
years,  and  with  indomitable  perseverance  devotes  a lifetime  to 
it,  he  will  succeed,  and  may  make  great  improvements ; if 
deficient  in  any  of  these  qualities,  assuredly  he  will  fail. 
“ Newton  Hall,  Durham, 
“ Dear  Lord  Cathcart,  dan.  27. 
“ In  reply  to  yours,  I write  to  say  that  my  experience  in 
hunters,  and  the  breeding  of  them,  is  that  the  best  I have  had 
and  known  have  been  animals  got  by  a thoroughbred  horse — as 
a rule  a short-legged  stallion  with  good  action,  sound  wind  and 
limb,  for  like  will  beget  like.  Particularly  avoid  an  unsound 
stallion  in  wind.j  I may  mention  a few  of  the  best  thorough- 
bred stallions  in  my  time  for  getting  hunters.  ‘Sir  Peter,’ 
‘ Oberon,’  ‘ YVoldsman,’  ‘ Sir  Harry  Dimsdale,’  ‘ Kite,’  ‘ Presi- 
dent,’ ‘ MacOrville,’  ‘ Perion,’  ‘ Piccador ;’  and  at  the  present 
* See  Ilerdbook,  “ Hubback.” 
t The  terrible  strength  of  inheritance  so  often  exhibited  in  a wrong  direction  ; 
endless  diseases,  even  habits  such  as  Cribbing.  See  also  Finlay  Duu,  “ Heredi- 
tary Diseases  of  Horses,”  ‘ Jour.  It.  A.  S.  E.,’  vol.  xiv.  p.  106. — C. 
