Fanny's dear old grey pony dies, and she is now in need of a horse. Edmund "had three horses of his own, but not one that would carry a woman. Two of them were hunters; the third, a useful road-horse: this third he resolved to exchange for one that his cousin might ride; he knew where such a one was to be met with, and having once made up his mind, the whole business was soon completed." (Ch. 4).

Why exchange the useful road-horse for a "lady-horse"? He has two hunters, so wouldn't it make more sense to exchange one of the hunters, and then have one hunter and one road-horse? Is it because it takes a lot of time and money to train a hunter, but not a road-horse and so he would rather keep them? Is it because the Mansfield stables are packed with other road-horses? Or is it simply not possible to have only one hunter? I am inclining more to the idea that there were other road-horses in the stables that he could use, because otherwise his decision seems odd, I think. Any thoughts?