2 
Half-bred  Horses  for  Field  or  Road: 
long-neglected,  subject.  I soon  found  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  get  any  one  practical  writer — for  practical  arts  must  be  chiefly 
taught  by  men  having  practical  experience — to  undertake  the 
wide  subject  in  its  completeness  ; but,  without  hesitation,  most 
of  my  friends  expressed  a willingness  to  contribute.  I reported 
to  my  colleagues  accordingly,  and  by  their  desire  it  was  that  I 
undertook  to  do  my  best  in  this  matter.  I do  not  now  appear, 
and  I wish  this  to  be  fully  understood,  in  the  character  of  a 
volunteer. 
I have  said  that  a paper  is  wanted.  Nearly  twenty  years 
have  elapsed  since  Mr.  Dickenson’s,*  Mr.  Gamgee’s,  and  Mr. 
Spooner’s  valuable  contributions  appeared  in  this  ‘Journal.’ 
About  the  same  time,  and  at  my  request,  Mr.  Wilkinson, 
principal  Veterinary  Surgeon  of  the  Army,  wrote  on  Cavalry 
Remounts.  Since  then,  namely  the  years  1863-5,  the  ‘ Journal 
of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  ’ has  contained  no  special 
Paper  on  the  present  subject.  The  feeling  out  of  doors  may  be 
gathered  from  a typical  letter  now  before  me,  dated  January  12th 
last,  and  addressed  to  the  Secretary.  The  letter,  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  the  Society’s  business,  covered  a subscription  from 
a practical  man  : and  it  is  just  one  of  those  little  bits  of 
reality  that  in  few  words  brings  home  conviction  : — 
“ The  Council  should  publish  some  good  papers  on  breeding 
nag-horses,  special  reference  being  had  to  best  strains  in  York- 
shire and  Norfolk.  Horses  seem  ignored.  A wider  scope  in 
the  half-yearly  Papers  would  be  welcome.”  Two  authorities  are 
mentioned  by  name,  either  of  whom,  it  is  said,  could  write 
a splendid  article  on  Breeding  Hunters.  “ What  a delightful 
article  could  be  written  on  the  hunting  stallions  of  Yorkshire, 
exemplifying  the  bad  as  well  as  the  good  points  : a similar  article 
on  roadster  stallions ! You  would  be  doing  a decided  service  to 
the  members  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  if  you  could  in  any- 
way further  the  profitable  breeding  of  hunters  and  roadsters.” 
The  retrospect  for  a period  of  twentyyears — 1863-83 — of  the 
Reports  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society’s  Stewards  and 
Judges  on  superior  horses  is  exceedingly  unsatisfactory.  Un- 
doubtedly the  weakest  part  of  our  organisation  is  to  be  found  in 
the  various  classes  of  horses  claiming  blood.  At  Newcastle  : 
“ Riding  in  the  Ring  was  a novelty  that  gave  great  satisfaction.” 
In  1868,  at  Leicester,  in  a fox-hunting  country:  “Stallions  were 
* ‘ On  tlie  Breeding  of  Horses ; a Letter  addressed  to  the  Bight  lion.  J.  E. 
Denison,  by  W.  Dickenson.’  Journal  Boy.  Agri.  Soe.,  vol.  xxiv.,  1863. 
‘ The  Breeding  of  Hunters  and  Boadsters.  ’ By  J.  Gamgee,  sen.  Ibid. 
‘ Supply  of  Horses  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  the  English  Army,  with 
Notes  on  the  Bcmount  System  in  the  French  Army.’  By  J.  Williamson.  Ibid. 
‘ On  Cross-Breeding  in  Horses.’  By  W.  C.  Spooner,  journal  Boy.  Agri.  Soc., 
vol.  i.,  New  Series,  1865. 
