518 Report on the Ridincj Horsen and Ponies shown at Canterhury, 
to liis offspring-, and therefore be a more certain card to rely on 
than the racing sire who has Ijeen educated lor several generations 
to go on his shoulders ? 
I have seen many of the best hunters and hackneys got by 
half-bred horses — horses, too, that commanded high prices in the 
market. I can point to two sons of " Mundig," at this time in 
Lincolnshire, one called "The Red-Cross Knight," the other 
"The Grey Prince." Both these are out of quite half-bred mares ; 
but, be it observed, that the cross is not that of soft Cleveland, 
but of good stout hunting-blood. Their stock possess great 
power and endurance, and have realised very high prices ; as 
a good specimen I can point to " Saucy Boy," at Willesden pad- 
docks, a winner at several steeple-chaces. Again, there is a still 
higher class of half-bred horse to be met with, containing most ex- 
cellent sires — in fact, the real cock-tail racer — such as " Gobbo," 
" Accident," " Wild Hero," &c. : even these would be debarred 
from taking the 100/., though essentially race-horses and better 
than three-fourths of the horses in training. I should like there- 
fore to see the hunter and hackney to a certain degree dis- 
tinguished from the race-horse ; and I think this may be effected 
by encouraging a tyjje as high-bred as possible, not necessarily 
thoroughbred (for from this source it is almost hopeless to 
attempt to get power enough for heavy weight), selected with 
an eye first of all to action and strength, and therefore with 
special regard to fine shoulders and well-placed forelegs. 
Among our thoroughbred horses there are decided lines which 
in a remarkable manner hand down certain perfections or im- 
perfections. At the present time the " Birdcatcher " and " Sir 
Hercules" line is that best calculated to improve our riding 
horses. They all possess action, and may be known by the 
general airiness of their forehands, and the good setting on of 
their necks, shoulders, and forelegs, with the drawback of a 
predisposition to curby hocks. Then there is the well-known 
Touchstone strain ; of large size, faulty in their shoulders and 
ancles, and remarkably powerful in their loins and hind legs — 
a most valuable line, if judiciously crossed, combining great 
stoutness and speed. 
These are the two great lines of the present day, and which 
by a careful admixture of blood may be brought nearer to per- 
fection than any. Among others there is the Bay Middleton 
line, one which has done much to diminish the general utility 
of horses, being an infirm, leggy, and light-middled sort. 
To this I may add the Melbourne and the Venison lines ; the 
former notable for handing down great size and good limbs, the 
other for possessing wiry but light frames. There ai'e many 
other lines of descent, but the above are the most in vogue. It 
