CHAPTER XIII

HORSES

By Lieut. - Col. Geoffry Brooke, D.S.O., M.C.

THE opportunity of finding horses that are likely to make high-class hunters becomes increasingly difficult each year, whereas the finished article is even scarcer. Certainly there are not enough really good sound-made hunters with mouths and manners to mount the large number of followers of hounds in this country to-day. This is due to many of the Irish breeders attempting to exploit the possibilities of breeding blood-stock in preference to hunters, while the demand for the latter from America continues to increase.

It is a very true saying: It takes two horses to make one perfect one. In other words, one cannot expect to find perfection in one horse. We must, therefore, early reconcile ourselves to this fact, when we are on the look-out for a hunter or we will certainly be disappointed. Should this rare animal ever materialise, he will certainly command a very large price.

Undoubtedly a light-weight is in a better position to mount himself pleasurably at moderate expense than his heavy-weight brother sportsman, as weight-carrying hunters with quality are few and far between. Certainly the novice is well advised to take counsel from an experienced friend, when he intends to go “horse-coping.”

If you are fortunate enough to reside in a country where many of the farmers hunt, you can, at times, pick up a good performer from one of them. But the average farmer as a rule is too busily employed to attend seriously to such details as the careful mouthing of his horses, though there are some few exceptions in this respect. At the same time you will generally find that an animal that has been hacked about the farm and hunted a season by a good man will usually have good manners.

As a rule the big dealers take the saleable horses off the farmer as soon as he is prepared to sell. Consequently, if you cannot find what you want amongst the farming fraternity, you may meet with success in the dealer’s yard. Here the price will be higher, but in the long run it may repay you to put yourself in the hands of a reputable dealer, who will do the best he can for you. Quite naturally, however, his regular clientele must have preference over a promiscuous buyer.

Generally speaking the bigger the dealer the bigger the choice, and as a natural corollary the bigger the price. As a rule, a cheap horse must have some definite crab, which an honest dealer will admit, and the buyer must use his own discretion.

Buying at sales where veterinary certificates are lodged is perhaps more of a gamble, unless you know all about the horse beforehand, or have seen him regularly out hunting, when you will be in a sound position to bid. Frequently, however, there will be others in possession of the same knowledge as yourself, and generally a good horse will fetch his full market value at a sale.

If you can have a trial on a horse out hunting, you are at least in a position to know whether you like the animal sufficiently to pay the price or not, and the subsequent veterinary examination either closes or breaks the deal. The main advantage of such a trial is, that in addition to trying your mount over fences, you can also ascertain whether he is temperate with hounds, an important item from the point of view of enjoyment. In selecting a horse much will depend upon the country in which you intend to hunt. In the Midlands or in a galloping grass country you require a free fencer that can gallop and at the same time has good manners in a crowd.

In a cramped country with small enclosures, occasional banks, and trappy fences, he may well be a more deliberate type of jumper, and in a bad-scenting plough country, though you will not require the speed of the typical Leicestershire horse, your hunter should be the strong well-coupled type of animal. Whenever possible you should buy a horse that is previously acquainted with a country similar to your own. For example, if you are going to ride over banks buy a horse from a banking country. In a rough mountainous country a good-actioned cob will take much beating, whereas a surefooted 15 or 15–2 hack will carry one in the New Forest.

With regard to the actual “ride,” there are certain points about which you have to make up your mind. You obviously do not want to get a horse in your stable that is not a pleasure to ride out hunting. Bearing in mind that the better the ride the larger the price, this factor is unfortunately considerably influenced by the depth of your purse. It is, however, advisable to discard a horse which you are convinced that you cannot confidently hold. Whenever you have him out you will be a nuisance to others as well as yourself, which will undoubtedly mar your pleasure.

It is as well to take careful note of the bitting of a horse that you are trying at a dealer’s. If he is equipped with a severe long cheeked bit and tight curb chain, a gag snaffle, or some special contrivance, your suspicions should be aroused. It will not necessarily mean that he is unridable, but one must take into consideration the fact that every horse is keener with hounds and is much more easily controlled when ridden in a field than he would be in a hunt. If you are doubtful, ask to have another horse out with you and see if he hots up in company. Though these conditions are far from approaching those of the hunting field, they will give you a chance of forming some idea of his ultimate behaviour.

In any case discard a hot and excitable animal, especially if it shows a tendency to kick. In addition it will probably soon run up light and will not come out regularly in its turn. Beware of a clumsy, sketchy fencer or an ungenerous, nappy animal, unless they are cheap and you are prepared to take the risk of correcting these faults. Turn down a horse that obstinately refuses with you. On the other hand, if he refuses once, and later continues to jump well, give him the credit of misunderstanding you and put the blame down to your own horsemanship.

If you are desirous of buying a galloping hunter, do not waste time on a cumbersome, high-actioned, common animal. Naturally a capable and experienced horseman can decide whether any of the above defects can be improved once the horse is in his possession, but this is not the case with a novice.

In order to fully appreciate the merits of a good ride one should take any opportunity of throwing one’s legs over a horse that is considered to be such, as this will assist you in forming your own conclusions when trying a horse for yourself. He should, of course, have good manners and a light mouth, giving the impression of being able to balance himself at all paces without being down on your hand or throwing up his head, so that he can be controlled without exertion by his rider. He should walk out well, display elasticity and freedom in his trot, springing from each diagonal pair of legs without high knee action, and show no inclination to drag his toes or stumble. Horses that have lost their action from infirmity have a proppy action at the trot and are what is called “scratchy” in their gallop. The well-balanced ride should canter smoothly and be thoroughly comfortable, not giving one the feeling of throwing his weight forward. At the gallop he should stretch his fore legs straight out in front of his nose with strong propulsion of the hind legs. The action should be smooth and silky, not rough or laboured, and although taking more strain on the rein at the gallop he should be easily under control. When put over a fence, he should give the rider a good feeling of power behind the saddle, jumping off his hocks and using his shoulders with fully stretched fore limbs as he lands.

Shoulders can best be judged from the saddle, when one can instantly appreciate if they are used with freedom, and one should not get the impression of riding straight over the point of the shoulder with little in front of the saddle.

With regard to conformation of a hunter a dealer may remark: “They go in all shapes.” It is true to this extent that many a plain-looking customer with a stout heart and sound in wind and limb will often carry his owner at the top of the hunt. Such animals, however, can only be truly judged on their performance, whereas the really good-looking horse, provided his temperament is all right, will normally be a highclass ride.

Let us now examine the various points in detail. With regard to the size, a thick-set quality 15–3 animal may hold its own with the best, and is eminently suitable for a small man. From 16 to 16–2 hands is a serviceable and saleable size, but over 16–2 the risk becomes greater of the horse going wrong in his wind. This is especially the case if his length is in the leg and he is narrow-chested with a long neck and head set on at an acute angle, with narrowness between the jaws at the junction of the neck. Quality on short legs with great depth through the heart is the type to look for. A large kind eye invariably denotes a generous disposition, whereas a small pig eye or pronounced forehead indicates the reverse. Width between the eyes usually denotes intelligence.

Looking back on all the horses one has possessed one can safely assert that all the best performers had kind intelligent expressions.

Good shoulders are most important in a hunter. They should slope well back from the point to the wither, and be so placed that the saddle is carried well back and shows no tendency to slip forward. Upright shoulders give one the feeling of a down-hill ride, and whereas a good fronted animal will recover from a blunder on landing, the straight-shouldered type will fail in this respect. A hunter’s shoulders should be clean and muscular, and when viewed from the front should not have a heavy chested appearance such as may be found in a draught horse. This latter type, although giving an appearance of scope in front, will usually be contracted in their action, whereas the utmost freedom is required of a hunter.

On the other hand, an abnormally narrow-chested animal is incapable of carrying weight. It is essential for a weight carrier to ride wide between your legs, with power both in front and behind the saddle; this is indicated by strong muscular loins supported on well-rounded back ribs and a neck that is wide across where seen from above.

Clean, well-developed withers will generally be found in connection with good shoulders. But this must not be taken as a definite rule, as young horses will sometimes appear fleshy about the withers, which develop later. On the other hand the high wither when found over straight shoulders tends to make the latter, when viewed from the ground, appear better than they really are. A fact which must be carefully considered.

Quality or coarseness will be exhibited in the head, mane, tail, limbs, feet, and skin, and needless to say the action, should be long, low, and swinging, yet with a springiness that is noticeable in good class thoroughbreds.

Lameness among hunters is mainly confined to the hocks and the fore limbs below the knees, and horses with the best of frames, if supported on badly formed limbs, will merely be a constant source of worry, and probably small return for our money in the number of days hunting that they will stand.

The forelegs should be straight, with long muscular forearms, big flat knees, and short cannon bones. Below the knee the limbs should be clean, hard, and flat, the line of the shank and back tendons being parallel. Animals that are tied in below the knee or appear over-topped for the amount of bone measurement here, will have proportionately weak tendons and ligaments. The back tendons and suspensory ligaments should both appear and feel clean and wiry. Any thickening denotes previous, if not permanent, trouble, which may possibly recur.

The fetlock joint should have a clean appearance, though in aged hunters one must expect to see some signs of wear, but any thickening of the suspensory ligaments on either side of the joint points to probable unsoundness later on.

Long sloping pasterns are a weakness in a hunter, when work is mostly over heavy going. Normal length and slope of the pasterns is what we require. Discard an animal with uneven pasterns unless it should be due to a blow or cut in front. Uneven feet may be considered as an indication of trouble to come.

Small bony feet, contracted heels, and dropped soles are all bad defects. The heels should be wide, the frogs well developed, and the sole arched. When viewed from the side the leg should not appear to be bent back at the knee, as this is a decided weakness, whereas a horse that is slightly over at the knee is seldom affected with sprained tendons.

The neck should be in proportion to the whole frame, with a slight natural curve, and should not appear to be put on upside down, as a ewe neck is a weakness and the horse will tend to poke his nose. A long neck in place of good sloping shoulders may give the appearance of there being “plenty in front” of you, with none of the adherent advantages.

Great depth from the withers to the elbow and large girth measurements are certain indications of staying power.

It is very exceptional for a horse that has a small girth to be a good stayer, and if he is shallow behind the saddle he will not be a robust cut-and-come-again customer.

A slack loin is a decided defect in a hunter. We require a short coupled animal for preference, though length behind the saddle may be compensated by good muscular loins.

A flat-sided horse generally lacks stamina, nor will he do credit to your stable, whereas well-sprung round back ribs are eminently desirable. Good hindquarters in a well-bred horse will be rounded and muscular with an appearance of ample scope from the hip to the hock. The hindquarters of a common horse have a square appearance when viewed from behind. Mean quarters, split up behind, may be due to poor condition, but a horse that appears to fall away behind in proportion to the rest of his body is unlikely to be the type that will keep on jumping and galloping all day.

When regarded from behind, the quarters, in addition to being round at the top, should gradually swell with muscle on either side as one looks down, and they should be well closed up beneath the tail.

The second thighs should be muscular, supported on two symmetrical hocks which neither turn in nor out.

Hocks only slightly turned in (cow-hocked) is not a serious crab, but when turned out, decided weakness is indicated.

Big clean bony hocks, wide in front, the point well developed with plenty of bone below the joint, are what we require. Small hocks are undoubtedly weak, and a plum straight type with undeveloped point supported on a long sloping pastern is not the true hunter’s hock. Bent or sickle hocks are predisposed to curbs. The lay of the hind limbs should not be such that the hocks appear to be behind the horse instead of underneath the quarters. The fall of the leg below the hock should, when the horse is standing evenly on all fore limbs, be perpendicular to the ground. Good strong hocks are essential, as great strain is put on them when jumping, and the horse transfers his entire weight on to the hind limbs which momentarily support and then propel it over the fence.

In addition to conformation and temperament equally important are energy and action. Always see your intended purchase run in hand both at a walk and trot.

Look out for elasticity, freedom, and straight action. A long swinging straight-actioned walker will usually be a good mover in his gallop. Watch carefully to see that a horse is level in his action at the trot, flexes his hocks equally, and does not drag a hind toe which will be due to some form of hock trouble.

Remember that a horse which turns a toe out badly is liable to knock his opposite fore leg; whereas a turned-in toe will result in a swinging-out action on the move with consequent loss of speed and undue strain on the outside of the fetlock joint.

Do not waste your time over extreme cases of either of the above defects, remembering that the real test is their effect on the animal’s action.

A useful performer may be picked up cheap if he is:

(a) A slight whistler.

(b) Not perfectly straight in his action.

(c) Slow though capable of jumping any fence.

(d) Has a speck in one eye.

(e) Has curby hocks, but you know that he has been regularly hunted.

(f) Shows wear from age but is still useful.

(g) Fails to conform to the accepted type, but is known to be honest with the heart of a lion.

(h) A horse that has been fired but which a reliable vet. maintains will stand hunting.

Other defects associated with an uncertain temperament may advisedly be left to the discretion of the more experienced horseman.