ENGLISH BEEEDS 119 



middle piece of the ancient horse was a good deal heavier than would 

 now be cared for in a show animal. 



At the same time, the modern Hackney must be accepted as represent- 

 ing very strongly the leading characteristics of the old stamp of horse. 

 Admitted that he is lighter, and perhaps more blood-like to suit the 

 rec[uirements of the age as suggested above, his form is, generally speaking, 

 very much the same, even though it be presented upon somewhat more 

 delicate lines. As to conformation : — 



The head should not possess the delicacy of that of the Thoroughbred; 

 neither should the coarseness of the Shire horse be apparent in it, a plain 

 underbred expression or a clumsy head-piece being most particularly objec- 

 tionable in any Hackney, and especially so in a mare. At the same time, 

 an efteminate look, or the appearance of a gelding-like head upon a stallion, 

 is a serious foult, for the prepotency of this horse is great, and a sire which 

 fails to impress a masculine appearance on his colts is seldom popular 

 amongst breeders. Moreover, it may be remembered that though style in 

 a horse is indispensably associated with merit in most breeds, one does 

 not require a superfluity of the commodity about the head, but would 

 rather have it distributed equally and in correct propoi'tions about the 

 animal. Thus, an exceptionally blood-like head on a Hackney stallion 

 would, if the horse was symmetrically proportioned, necessitate a reduction 

 of his substance, and then he would become a weed; and conserj^uently it 

 may be repeated, that the head of a Hackney stallion should be there 

 in plenty, provided always that it be properly proportioned in itself 

 and in its relation to the rest of the body. It should be rather wide 

 about the jowl, and taper gradually towards the muzzle — a Roman nose 

 or a narrow jowl are abominations in any horse, the one frequently de- 

 noting a surly disposition, and the other completely destroying the 

 character of the head. The eyes of a Hackney are of a good size, and 

 nicely placed in his skull, and should lie soft, amiable, and intelligent- 

 looking, denoting the courageous and confiding disposition which is very 

 characteristic of the horse. A small or sunken eye is usually identified 

 with uncertainty of temper and general unreliability, whilst its pos- 

 session detracts immeasurably from the beauty of any animal. Finally, 

 the ears should be small, pointed, carried erect, and set on high; a 

 big round-tipped ear is not infrequently accompanied by objectionable 

 coarseness, whilst a lop ear which is carried out almost level with the 

 top of the head is simply hideous, and should tell greatly against any 

 sire, for the formation is often hereditary. 



The crest should be pronounced in the case of a stallion, and the 

 neck rather long, though it looks shorter than it really is on account 



