THE HACKNEY OR HARNESS HORSE 



halt ; with feet of proportionate size (no sidebone), good shaped 

 hocks, and with good hock action. Fore Hmbs to be well 

 placed and of good conformation. Avoid using a bad tempered 

 sire or dam to breed from. Returning to the points of the 

 hackney — 



The Head should be straight in front from ears to nose, 

 covered by thin skin, and fine soft hair. Eyes, full, with keen 

 expression, and the ears thin, well carried, and covered with fine 

 hair. The outhnes of the jaws, and various prominences in the 

 facial region, ought to be discernible through the thin skin of 

 the typical hackney, in fact, in any well bred horse. Coarse 

 breeding frequently shows itself in the region of the head. The 

 head may be too heavy, or too light. 



Defective sight, swollen glands, roaring or whistling, diseases 

 of the grinding teeth, and a chronic discharge from nose, are the 

 chief causes of unsoundness in this region. 



The Neck. — This should be full and round, covered by 

 thin skin and well carried. Typical hackneys have usually 

 brilhant head and neck carriage, and this without the use of a 

 bearing rein. Full development of neck muscles constitutes 

 one of the essentials of beauty in this region. Never buy a 

 horse with a weedy neck, or one that has a bad carriage of head. 

 Chest of medium width, and deep at girth. 



Shoulders. — Oblique ; arms of moderate length and 

 strong. On the inner side of the elbow and a trifle below it, an 

 operation known as median neurectomy (unnerving), to remove 

 lameness, is often performed, evidence being afforded by the 

 presence of a slight scar. Such a horse is sometimes spoken 

 of as having been undone, rendering its market value nil. 



89 



