ENGLISH BREEDS 121 



not too much bent at the hock, and possess a considerable amount of 

 bone below that joint. The pasterns, moreover, should be of a nice 

 length without showing a trace of weakness. 



In general appearance the Hackney, assuming that he is a representative 

 horse, should strike even a stranger to the merits of the breed as a remark- 

 able combination of activity, strength, and symmetry. Unless he carries 

 himself jauntily the first attribute is likely to be lost sight of, and 

 if he does not display power all over he ceases to be a good specimen 

 of his race. In the case of no other variety of horse is symmetry a 

 more important property than in the Hackney, for a coarse animal is as 

 unlikely to command success as a very light one. Perhaps even more 

 so, for, as it has been suggested above, there has been a strong disposition 

 of recent years to introduce a more blood-like class of animal to the 

 public; but whilst breeders can scarcely be blamed if they attempt to 

 meet the requirements of the market, it will be an error on the part 

 of judges if they award prizes to narrow split-up stallions. Even that 

 great equine attribute, " quality ", may be too dearly purchased, and the 

 recognition of a light flashy race of Hackney stallions will assuredly 

 effect an immense amount of mischief to the breed; moreover, it is by 

 no means impossible for refinement to be associated with substance, many 

 splendid instances of the combination being alive. 



The action of the Hackney is one of the most important, in fact the 

 most characteristic feature of the breed, no horse in existence being- 

 capable of extending himself as does a good specimen of the variety. As 

 is only to be supposed, it is his shoulder action that plays the most 

 prominent part in his movement; liut it may still be observed that a 

 Hackney, before he can be regarded as a goer, must use all his joints 

 in harmony with his shoulders. His knees, pasterns, stifles, and hocks 

 must all be correctly flexed before the beau ideal of that poetry of 

 motion, that incomparable one, two, three, four, which so distinguishes 

 the Hackney from all other horses, can be arrived at. There should be 

 an immense amount of liberty about the shoulder action, the fore-legs 

 being as it were dashed out in front so that it almost appears that the 

 horse is endeavouring to get rid of them. The knees in turn should 

 be doubled and then extended straight, whilst the pastern -joints first 

 bend the hoof backwards and then straighten themselves, so that the 

 feet are stretched out in a straight line with the fore-leg, and affect a 

 momentary poise in the air before being brought down u]3on the gi'ound. 

 All these varied movements are transacted so instantaneously as to be 

 almost imperceptible, but the tout ensemble is as described above. Mean- 

 while the back-legs are acting, or should be, as powerful motors for the 



