Breeding of Hunters and Roadsters. 
355 
judees of horses jenerallv, that each animal mar be assisTied to 
his proper use. VVhen a colt is srowin? large and coarse, more 
like a coach-horse than a hunter, it is well that this should be 
seen in time, before extra expense is incurred, when perhaps the 
proper time for sale would be passed over ; though good horses 
often run in families, there is nevertheless frequently great 
diversitv, even in horses that are full brothers. 
Hunters of the greatest power, and the best performers under 
heavv weiffhts are usuallv about 16 hands high ; and some geld- 
ings exceeding that height are very well-formed animals, and 
have good action. Most experienced riders, however, who are 
in possession of a verv good large horse, will be able to tell of 
one that could carrv them quite as well which measured a hand 
less : mv own experience is against high horses ; hunters of from 
15 to 16 hands hi?h may be equally good for different weights 
from 11 stone upwards. 
Some of the questions which most perplex men in trying to 
understand the relative merits of horses from their sizes, shapes, 
and general external appearance, could be reduced to more simple 
rules, if action were better understood than it has been. Excellent 
judsres of both form and action are to be found who yet, from 
want of some fundamental rules, are unable to connect the one 
with the other. Hence the fine form of a horse is not appre- 
ciated until after he has performed some feat ; and, since the value 
of the horse turns principally on his locomotive power, the art of 
breeding and rearing hinses on a right appreciation of action, 
which is the representation and of5pring of form. 
When horses lite Little Wonder and Daniel O'Rourke, that 
were sensibly under 15 hands high, are seen to outrun horses 
of 16 hands for the Derby, it is generally thought that the little 
horse has gained over the larger, through his quicker movements ; 
that more strides must be taken in the one case than the other ; 
or else that the lower horse keeps up the pace the longest, as is 
really the case, the larger horse being the weaker. But as regards 
the length of stride, the notion of the little horse having the 
shorter is very probably wrong ; and when he has beaten the larger 
animal, it generally is bv his length of stride ; and the same con- 
struction which gives that facultv, confers the power to keep it up. 
The eye is the best guide to the forms of the horse. Like the 
sculptor and painter, we cannot proceed far by measurement ; 
although, like the artists, we can run our rule over one or two 
points, and then take in the details with the eve. 
When making a few remarks on what is understood as good 
shape in horses of different classes, I will not so much repeat 
accepted rules as notice a few exceptions to them. 
The head of every horse is an important point to be observed 
