f breeding is less
understood: a horse is frequently seen with fore-quarters equal to
fifteen hands, and hind-quarters only large enough for a pony. In
Africa many animals have a tendency to largeness about the
fore-quarters; the elephant, wildebeest, and hartebeest appearing
unnaturally heavy in front, and as though they required but a push from
behind to send them on their noses. Whether the climate has anything to
do with this peculiar form I know not, but the horses are seldom too
large in their hind-quarters, although the Hottentots and the Cape sheep
are in this particular absolutely ponderous.

The Hantam and Swellendam districts are celebrated for their breed of
horses, and these supply great part of the colony. The qualities most
esteemed amongst the Cape breeders are,--small head, small ears, large
nostril, small muzzle, broad chest, large bone in the leg, short in the
cannon and pastern, toes rather turned in than out; well ribbed home
(many Dutchmen would not buy a horse that allowed more than four fingers
to be placed between the last rib and the hip-bone); broad behind, with
the tail set on very high (this last is a _specialite_); cow-hocks are
detested. Several small peculiarities are esteemed at the Cape that are
not even observed in England; for instance, a Dutchman once told me that
he knew a pony of mine must be enduring, from the small size of the
corns on the inside of the hind-legs; he assured me that, when this was
the case, a horse rarely tired, while, when the reverse, he generally
shut up with only half a journey. I must own that I found this man's
theory correct, as far as my experience carried me.

The Cape shooting-ponies are most extraordinary animals. In a country
of this description, where every small journey, or even call, is made on
horseback, the pony is more convenient than the horse; he is more easily
mounted, is cheaper both to keep and buy, and is generally more
manageable and teachable. Beauty forms no necessary item with a
shooting-pony; he is often ugly, misshapen, big-headed, and small in
girth; but upon examining him closely, the large bone of the leg, game
head, and large nostril, with several other recommendations, cancel the
imperfection of want of beauty. His action also is peculiar; he rarely
walks, his mode of progression being a sort of tripple, at which he
travels about six or seven miles an hour: trotting is not admired by the
Boers. When the pony gallops, h