THE PARK-HACK. 105 
daily concussion on the road, and that a Welsh pony or Norman horse will 
stand nearly twice the amount of this work without showing its effects, 
This is the weak point in the breed, partly arising from original want of 
size in the bone and joints, but chiefly, I imagine, from the constant use 
of stallions for inferior stock which have themselves suffered from inflam- 
mation of the legs and its consequences ; hence, in process of time, a breed 
of horses is formed, which has legs more than usually prone to lameness, 
in consequence of being the produce of sires and dams that have been 
turned out of the racing stable for this very infirmity, which is sure to be 
transmitted to the offspring. That Eastern blood is not necessarily prone 
to inflammation of the legs and feet is tolerably manifest from our experi- 
ence of modern Arabs and their descendants in this country, as well as 
abroad. Since the Crimean war, the number imported into Great Britain 
has greatly increased, and though most of them have been selected almost 
at random, they are certainly not defective in their legs, though perhaps 
not coming up to the degree of wiriness which is possessed by the Welsh 
pony. I have myself owned an Arab as well as a grandson of an Arab, 
which would bear any fair amount of hammering uninjured, and from 
these facts, and others not within my own knowledge, I am led to conclude 
that the cause is not inherent in the breed, but is accidentally introduced 
by the use of rejected stallions for farmers’ purposes. These get good- 
looking colts, which fetch high prices, and therefore suit the breeder’s 
purpose just as well as the sounder horse, who would perhaps cost twice 
as much for his services. The farmer seldom tries the legs much, and it 
is only when put to work that the weakness is discovered, which to the 
eye is not by any means perceptible. From a long experience in my own 
case, and in that of others, I am convinced that legs cannot be selected by 
the appearance or feel. I do not mean to say that out of forty horses the 
twenty with the best-looking legs will not beat the others, but that it is 
impossible for any judge, however good, to pronounce with anything 
like certainty whether a certain leg will stand or not, without knowing 
anything of the possessor of it. In so many instances have I seen a leg, 
pronounced by several good judges to be undeniably good, go to pieces 
directly, and a bad one stand, that I can only come to the conclusion that 
no certain opinion can be formed from a mere inspection. This is a great 
source of loss to the dealer who buys his horses after a long rest, and with 
their legs looking fine and sound ; for even the necessary “showing out” 
will make many give way, and lameness ensues of a character which will 
not warrant a “return,” yet sufficient to prevent a profitable sale. A 
horse sore from work is cooled down, physicked, and put into a lcose box; 
he is then blistered, and kept without more than quiet exercise till he is 
to be sold, and by that time his legs are as fine as the day he was foaled. 
Now, I defy any one, however skilful, to detect the inherent weakness ; 
but there it is, and on the first week’s severe work the inflammation 
returns as bad as ever. The park-hack not requiring legs to stand severe 
work, his place is well filled by any horse of good temper, safe, and showy 
action, and of elegant shape. Good temper is necessary, because as these 
horses are not worked hard, they speedily become unmanageable if they 
are naturally of a vicious disposition. Work will quiet almost any horse ; 
but in order to have a horse pleasant to ride at all times, whether fresh or 
stale, he must be of a very tractable temper indeed. Many horses which 
will come out of the stable, when fresh, in a state of fiery and hot 
impatience, rearing and kicking like mad animals, will, when in good 
work, be as quiet as donkeys ; and hence it is not always wise to reject 
