122 VARIETIES OF THE HORSE 



propulsion of the body. The hocks and stiHes tire bent, the former being 

 tucked in under the horse's belly, so that when the feet reach the ground 

 they are in a line with, and apparently close behind, the fore ones. 

 Great goers, especially if they are fast, are often inclined to move wide at 

 the hocks, but this is an unsightly style of action, and will tell against 

 a horse to a greater or less extent, though it may be added that some 

 very notable performers, both upon the turf and elsewhere, have moved 

 with their hocks very far apart from one another. Dash, fire, and 

 freedom in his action are all essential to the success of a Hackney; and 

 if possible to a still greater extent, so is that smoothness and levelness 

 of motion which is always a characteristic of the perfect-actioned horse. 

 Dash, in fact, need no more necessitate the presence of roughness or 

 rockiness in a horse's action than need the fault of dishino- i.e. throwing out 

 the feet beyond the line of the fore-leg when the pasterns are bent upwards, 

 be associated with high stepping. Both are nasty faults, and the possession 

 of either will most probably mean the forfeiture of a prize. 



The question of shoulder and knee action is one, however, upon which 

 opinions of Hackney breeders may be accepted as differing somewhat. 

 Otherwise it would not be possible for some horses to have won the prizes 

 which stand to their credit, for animals have before now carried oif hish 

 honours in the show-ring which have entirely failed to get away in front, 

 owing to their having used their knees to a far greater extent than their 

 shoulders. This is the class of horse that conforms to the descrij^tion " all 

 action but no go", for he lifts his knees almost up to his bit, and then puts 

 his feet down again close to the place whence he took them up. This 

 fighting style of going is surely not comparable to the action advocated 

 above, especially when it is remembered that the feet must suffer from 

 being smashed down upon the ground, and that half the animal's energies 

 are being wasted in his fruitless beating of the air. A horse that uses 

 his shoulders need not necessarily omit to bend his knees, and in addi- 

 tion to proving a fine and showy mover, will undoubtedly be a far more 

 comfortable conveyance for his rider, whilst it stands to reason that his legs 

 will last much longer than those of the other class of animal. The jiosition 

 of the shoulders, and other points in the structural develojoment of the 

 Hackney, such as the length of neck, strength of loin, and length and slope 

 of pasterns, are of course a more important consideration in the selection of 

 a Saddle than a Harness horse; l)ut it must always be borne in mind that 

 the latter is the more saleable animal, in addition to being the more correct 

 type of the breed, and consequently, when the two varieties meet, the pre- 

 ference should always be given to the Harness horse. Indeed, the modern 

 Hackney is not an ideal saddle horse. 



