Breeding of Hunters and Roadsters. 
347 
not have attained his special excellence, we find in almost every 
instance some cherished historical name connected with him as 
the breeder. 
One important point in which the rearing of horses at the 
present day differs from the practice of the last century, consists 
in the small paddock and artificial forcing management being 
substituted for the range of the spacious park, with the neces- 
sary adjuncts, until maturity was reached. 
Amongst the essential conditions for breeding horses next to 
that of selection of stock to breed from, is the cnoice of the land 
as regards its nature and extent ; to this point too little attention 
has been paid of late, and it has a special importance in the case 
of hunters, because they retjuire longer time in pasture than 
others, to complete their growth and consolidate the frame. 
When the subject of rearing horses on farms which contain 
little or no pasture, has been under discussion of late, and the 
relative cost of a young horse produced in the farmyard has 
incidentally been contrasted with that of one purchased of the 
same age, it has been argued that the price of the horse bred on 
the farm is not felt like the payment of all the money in a lump. 
It is strange that men of the sagacity of farmers should make 
any such exception to the broad commercial rule of exchange, 
which never applies more forcibly than in this case. 
The first question for a man to ask himself, who has a desire 
to breed horses, is, — have I the necessary pasture-land for the 
purpose? Without this nothing can be done in the matter; 
with it and the necessary capital everything can be accom- 
plished. Good sound old pasture is that which admits of the 
best hunters being produced with the least help by artificial 
means ; such land as grows the best wheat seems also to suit 
horses well — the North Riding of Yorkshire may be cited as a 
case in point. Well-drained land is esseirtial, and a dry surface 
most favourable, — whilst wet flat lands may grow grasses and feed 
horses to a large size, hunters can never be produced on any 
other than good firm soil ; if the surface be hilly, all the better ; 
if some of these natural advantages be wanting, yet horses bred 
on sloping ground, where they have variety of exercise, become 
finer in form, with better action, than when bred on flat ground. 
Many of the best horses known at all times have derived their 
high qualities from the physical character of the ground on 
which they were bred ; the more extensive and diversified this 
is, the less risk there is of foals breaking a leg whilst galloping 
and playing in a confined paddock. I never knew of a similar 
occurrence where the young animals have had space and ine- 
quality of ground, to give them strength, with the will to use it. 
With a regular supply of good sound food, horses may be 
