INCREASING OUR SUPPLIES OF CAVALRY HORSES. 27 
the force of our cavalry regiments, as not only patriotism but 
common prudence calls upon us to do, it follows that the 
agriculturist will find highly-remunerative employment for 
his capital in the breeding of horses. 
To point out the manner in which he must proceed in 
order to produce the best animals, and thus to realize the 
highest prices of the market, has been the object of the 
letters which I have already addressed to you. In the pre- 
sent communication I propose to confine my remarks to one 
point — viz., the choice of a sire. 
A paper appeared a few months back, in a highly popular 
publication, on the subject of cavalry horses, in which the 
writer assumed that the bulk of those at present used in our 
army were too large ; that to cross our ordinary breeds with 
thorough-bred horses would only add to the evil, inasmuch 
as it would add upright shoulders and washy constitutions 
to overgrown size ; and suggested as a remedy the cross with 
Arabian sires. The assertions of the writer with regard to 
thorough-bred horses I shall at present pass over, with the 
remark that they can only have been made by one practically 
unacquainted with the noble breed which he libels. But 
are our cavalry horses too large for their work? Certainly 
not those of the ordinary regiments. With regard to those 
of the Life Guards, the Blues, and other heavy regiments, 
the answer may be doubtful; but, at any rate, the weight 
they have to carry must be lessened before the horses them- 
selves can be reduced in size 'and substance. The work which 
a troop-horse has to do much resembles that of a weight- 
carrying hunter, with the proviso that it is more severe, and 
that speed is not so primary an object. Now, the best size 
for a hunter is from 15 hands 2 inches to 16 hands, both 
inclusive. A horse below the former height seldom fetches 
more than a moderate price for this purpose ; and a tolerably 
long experience in the hunting-field convinces me that this is 
not a prejudice, for, although I have possessed many excel- 
lent horses of small size, not one of them was entitled to the 
appellation of a first-rate hunter. That is to say, whatever 
might be their speed, however extraordinary might be their 
powers of fencing, they were unable to go through a severe 
day, in which both endurance and speed were required in 
the highest degree, without exhibiting undue signs of dis- 
tress. On the contrary, I have had several horses above the 
size I prefer — that is, more than 16 hands — which were able 
to go through runs of more than ordinary severity, with ease 
at the time, and without requiring a longer rest than usual 
to recruit them. I conclude, therefore, that from 15 hands 
