BREEDING OE HUNTERS AND HACKS. 
485 
two, when we might expect to see in the produce some of tlie 
most perfect hacks ever backed. Not the hideous, vulgar, 
heavy-shouldered, loaded neck, Prince Regent kind of cob, 
but a little pattern of beauty and strength, with style, sub¬ 
stance, and action really fit to carry a king. Such a hack as 
this would soon outplace even the Prickwillows and Phe¬ 
nomena, already going out of use for the saddle, now that 
men travel to meet hounds in first-class carriages, and the 
feats of Dick Turpin and “The Squire’’ are fast becoming 
mere matters of hearsay. Like the modern hunter, the 
modern hack must be well bred, and the Council have done 
right to couple the two in the requirements of their stud¬ 
horse. If a country breeder wishes to ascertain for himself 
the description of riding horse that is likely to make the 
most money, I would recommend him to stroll into Rotten 
Row, between one and two, during the approaching season, 
where he will find here again how “ blood will tell,” and 
what Mr. Rice and Mr. Quartermaine have to go in search of. 
Will the man who means to do better, and give nag¬ 
breeding a fair trial, be good enough to bear in mind that 
much of all I have said as to the sire applies equally to the 
dam ? Let there be some shape and make, with health and 
action, and the same warranty as to wind, eyes, and hocks. 
With rarely any pedigree to fall back upon, appearance and 
soundness must be the chief recommendation of the farmer’s 
mare; and even such a verdict, based upon such conclusions, 
must not be too hastily arrived at. Many a comparatively 
mean-looking one has before now thrown the best of stock, 
as that peerage of their order, the Stud-book assure us; 
mares that need carefully looking into before they are con¬ 
demned or passed over. To give an illustration, however, 
direct to our purpose: about the grandest cock-tails I ever 
saw were Mr. Foster’s Combat, Challenger, and Nike, all 
capital runners at welter-weights, and all the children or 
grand-children of, I am assured, as common-looking an 
animal as could be. The old mare had, no doubt, much 
within her “that passeth show,” brought out as this was by 
the cross to the thorough bred horse. In fact, if the dam be 
but clear of hereditary unsoundness, and wdth good action, 
I do not think w’e should be too scrupulous in asking the 
tenant to send nothing but the great, fine slashing mares, 
which they would, as half-bred, be scarcely justified in 
buying up. A friend in Devonshire has sent me a few lines 
on the way in which the “pack-horse” answered to the 
superior cross, that I must give here as especially in place in 
a West of England journal: 
XXXVI. 32 
