628 Report on the Exhihition of Live-Stock at Slireioshury, 1884. 
for Road or Field" (' Journal,' vol. xix., s.S. Part I., p. 1), says that 
the breeding of hunters in the neighbourhood is (to that date) 
unquestionably on the decline, but that the district is a most 
suitable one for horse-breeding, and was in former days noted 
for its good hunters, great in their capabilities as weight- 
carriers, and in their powers of endurance. These animals, 
bred in the district, a hilly one, needing strong and untiring 
horses to hunt it, made " the Shropshire type " famous, a type 
at once understood if the words used as quotation were applied 
to purposes of description. From one cause or another, or from 
many causes, that state of things passed away, and the country 
around Shrewsbury has lost its reputation as the breeding-ground 
of a special stamp of hunter. In connection with one of the 
associations recently formed to promote the breeding of improved 
cart-horses in the district, mentioned in an earlier part of this 
Report, an effort has been made to revive also the breeding of 
hunters and hackneys. In December last, the Ludlow District 
Cart-Horse Association resolved to form a Limited Liability 
Company uniting the two latter varieties of horses with the cart- 
horse, with the object of effecting improvement by the intro- 
duction of superior stallions to travel the district. The Ludlow 
Stud Horse Company (Limited) was accordingly incorporated 
in January last, and it now has, besides two shire stallions 
purchased, the hired thoroughbred horse " Prince George," by 
" Toxopholite," the property of the Duchess of Montrose. These 
horses, it is understood, have been fairly well patronised during 
the season ; but as this is only the beginning of that which may 
prove to be, hope suggests, the revival of horse-breeding in the 
district, Shropshire and the adjoining counties did not con- 
tribute much to the quality of this department, although a few 
good horses and mares, home-bred and strangers, belonging to 
exhibitors resident in the district, were shown. 
Before we turn to the Classes of the Hunters themselves, the 
Thoroughbred Stallions suitable for getting Hunters claim atten- 
tion. Much has been said about the importance of some 
security that the winning horses should be available for the use 
of tenant farmers ; and it is understood that the Stock Prizes 
Committee will be asked to consider whether a condition to 
that effect should be attached to the offer of prizes. Whether 
such a condition should come from the Society itself, or is rather 
within the province of a local committee offering special and 
supplementary prizes, may be a further question. As an obvious 
objection to any restriction, it may be urged that such a change 
is likely to exclude the best specimens of the thoroughbred, 
whose owners would not care to subject them to compulsory 
service ; and something may be said about a possibly incon- 
