444 BRITISH AND IRISH HORSES. 



well-marked characteristic of the Suffolk horse. His 

 indomitable courage at a dead pull, is evidently a gift 

 he has inherited from his ancestors, who, long ago, were 

 frequently used in " Drawing Matches " against each 

 other. His ability to stand hardship and scanty fare, 

 is much greater than that of our other breeds of cart-horses. 

 Formerly, the Suffolk horse was rather inclined to be 

 unsound in his legs and feet, but that infirmity is now 

 supposed to have been weeded out. The only fault I 

 can find in him, is that he is rather light below the knee, 

 in comparison to his girth. A fairly large number of Suffolk 

 horses are annually exported to the Continent, America 

 and Australia, in all of which countries they are held in 

 high repute. 



The Hackney. — We have seen (p. 440) that carts 

 were but little used up to the end of the eighteenth 

 century, owing to the badness or absence of roads. At 

 that time, the Hackney was essentially a riding horse 

 which could gallop, trot and stay. Fast trotting was a 

 characteristic of the Norfolk Hackney (Norfolk Trotter). 

 We read in the Sporting Magazine of 1803, that a " chestnut 

 Hackney mare, a descendant of Staring Tom, w^as matched 

 to go from the Market Cross, Chichester, to the 15-mile- 

 stone on the Portsmouth road, and back again three times, 

 making 90 miles, in 9 hours, allowing the animal for rest 

 and refreshment three hours. She went the first 30 miles 

 in two hours and fifteen minutes ; after one hour and 

 three-quarters' rest she performed the second 30 miles in 

 two hours and twenty minutes ; was started again the 

 third time, completing the task in six hours and forty-five 

 minutes, which was two hours and a quarter within the 

 time named. This performance shows the mare did the 

 90 miles at the rate of a little over 14 miles an hour. It 

 was two years previous to the above, in July, 1800, that 

 the celebrated Hackney mare. Phenomenon, was backed 

 to trot 17 miles in 56 minutes for a bet of /400, which 



