104 THE HORSE. 
them Action is the sine gud non, united to stoutness, temper, ana 
soundness both of wind and limb, as well as of the eyes. A horse with a 
thick-loaded shoulder often makes a good hack, while a very thin one is 
not suited for long-continued journeys, its muscles soon tiring, and a trip, 
or series of trips, being the result. There are, however, one or two essen- 
tials in the shape of a good hack which should never be overlooked, let 
the action be what it may. Firstly, the shoulder-blade must be wide 
enough at its upper part and sufficiently clothed with muscle behind it to 
keep the saddle in its place, which may readily be ascertained by the most 
inexperienced person by putting one on and riding a mile or two, partly 
down hill. The horseman knows at once whether the shape of this part 
is suitable, but practice is required for this, and unless it has been 
obtained, it is better to leave nothing to chance, but to take the trouble 
to ascertain the fact. Secondly, the jaws should be wide, and the head 
and neck so put together that they can be bent into proper form, without 
which the mouth cannot remain good, and no hack can be considered 
perfect. This, however, I have previously enlarged upon at great length, 
and therefore I need not repeat what I have written. I have alluded to 
the walk, trot, and gallop in mentioning the paces of the hack, but have 
said nothing of the canter, because it is not much used by gentlemen, on 
account of its wearing the off leg out more than the trot, from the great 
stress laid upon that limb. Even if the lead is continually changed, more 
mischief is done by 10,000 hard blows than by 20,000 comparatively 
gentle, and therefore, excepting on the turf by the side of the road, the 
canter should not be indulged in by the male sex. 
TH PARK-HACK should be the road-hack I have described with the most 
showy form within reach ; but as this last is the point which is the most 
attended to, an animal is often selected of the most worthless kind in other 
particulars, either from some deficiency of constitution or infirmity of legs. 
There are every year some scores of useless brutes turned out of the racing- 
stables with legs which will not stand a preparation, in consequence of 
their tendency to inflame and become unsound. Now, these horses are 
often barely up to eleven stone, and also unfit for the hunting-field, from 
defective hocks, or from some peculiarity of temper which prevents their 
taking to jump. They are “well topped”—that is, well formed about the 
head, neck, and body; and to the inexperienced eye are very taking. 
They may also have high action, and sometimes particularly so; for the 
higher it is, the more likely to occasion inflammation of the legs. These 
animals are put by, cooled down, and blistered, and are then brought out 
as showy hacks, for the use of gentlemen who merely require a short 
constitutional airing every ine day of an hour or an hour and a half; and, 
as fine days do not average above four per week, many horses even with the 
most infirm legs can accomplish that amount of work, ifridden quietly over 
hard ground. Many such animals are exhibited daily in Hyde Park, where 
the soft ground of Rotten Row exactly suits them ; but there are others to 
be seen there of the most perfect description, capable of standing as much 
work as any butcher's pony. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that the 
great majority of our park-hacks, even if they are specially bred for the 
purpose, are incapable of doing as much work over hard ground as the 
coarser-bred and more common-looking brutes in use among the butchers 
and genera! dealers who attend country fairs from long distances. Eastern 
blood is a great advantage in most respects, and no doubt when the animal 
possessing it is sound, he will bear the shocks of the road with impunity ; 
but there is no question in my mind that he fails in the matter of enduring | 
