COBS, GALLOWAYS, AND PONIES. 107 
the splashes on the habit which is caused by too low a horse, and a greater 
height being generally attended with a rough and therefore unpleasant 
action. The walk and canter are the absolutely essential paces, but a 
good and even trot should, if possible, be superadded, for the sake of giving 
useful exercise to the rider, and at the same time saving the legs of her 
horse, which are tried far less in this pace on hard roads than in the 
canter. 
COBS, GALLOWAYS, AND PONIES. 
THE Cos is merely a thick and strongly made hack about fourteen 
hands in height, and suited to carry from fifteen to twenty stone. All the 
points are therefore such as are required in the ordinary hack, but they 
must be strong in proportion to the weight to be carried. The twenty 
stone cob is in fact a compact and active little cart-horse, with canna 
bones as large as in that variety, and generally with the same tendency to 
throw out bony growths. In those up to less weight more breeding may 
be displayed, but even in them the cart-horse generally predominates with 
all his attendant disadvantages. Few breeders take any pains to obtain 
the cob, and his occurrence is chiefly accidental, being a dwarf among 
those colts intended for hunters, or an unusually well-shaped and active 
little cart-horse. The former is the more valuable by far, as his, action 
will be cleaner and less heavy, while his limbs will stand fast work much 
better, and if wanted for the gallop his wind will be far more lasting. 
AS TO THE GALLOWAY, the term itself as well as the animal it represents 
are quite out of date. Originally, the word was confined to the full-sized 
ponies which were bred in the south of Scotland, and which showed more 
Eastern blood than the Highlanders. They seldom exceeded fourteen 
hands, and are described as possessing all the attributes of a clever hack. 
The distinct breed, however, is now lost, and the name is quite excluded 
from the horseman’s vocabulary. 
AMONG MODERN PONIES there is great variety, but the breeds are seldom 
kept distinct. It may, however, be said that the following are sufficiently 
so to be considered as sub-varieties of this division—namely, those of 
Wales, the New Forest, and Exmoor, in the South; and the Highland 
and Shetland pony in the North. 
Toe WELSH pony is a strong useful animal, averaging about thirteen 
hands in height, and possessed of a neat head, good shoulders, a capital 
back, and most enduring legs and feet. Many of them are of a cream or 
dun colour, and if the latter, marked with a dark stripe down the back, 
which colour extends to the mane and tail. These peculiarities are sup- 
posed to be derived from Norwegian sires which some years ago were 
introduced into the district in the hope of improving the breed, which 
was then very small and weedy, with a remarkable preponderance among 
them of “cat hams.” The cross has proved useful ; but either from it or 
from the original breed, the Welsh pony is extremely disposed to be 
obstinate ; but as man is very apt to convey his own qualities to the dumb 
creatures about lim, and as obstinacy is notoriously prevalent among the 
biped inhabitants of the province, it seems probable that Norway is 
altogether innocent. These ponies are bred in considerable numbers by 
the farmers, and suffered to run on the hills till they are three years old, 
when they are collected and either sold by auction on the spot, or sent in 
droves into England, where they are readily disposed of at prices varying 
from 51. to 15d. The Rev. T. Williams of Tyr-y-cwm, near Swansea, is 
ae of the most celebrated of these breeders, and [ have seen some of his 
