214 THE HOUSE BOOK. 



wheeled vehicles came a general refining of the 

 breed. As we have seen the history of the Hack- 

 ney in this country dates back to the importa- 

 tion of Bellf ounder in 1823, but there is a great 

 gap to be bridged between that date and the 

 inception of what we may call the general trans- 

 ference of the breed across the ocean. It was 

 in about 1880 that 'this was begun and at first 

 the Hackney had a hard row to hoe. The im- 

 porters seemed to have a craze for bringing 

 over the largest horses they could lay hands on 

 horses that today would be discarded. Then 

 came the era of the horse-in-harness show. In 

 England the Hackney was par excellence the 

 favored carriage horse for use in the lighter 

 styles of vehicle. He could put up his knees and 

 hocks in approved fashion. So some of our 

 rich men began to support him. 



About this time the bottom of the market for 

 trotting-bred horses dropped out so far that it 

 seemed it could never be discovered again. 

 Stallions that had been doing a profitable busi- 

 ness at from $50 to $100 a mare suddenly found 

 themselves without anything to do. They were 

 offered for what 'they would bring. The deal- 

 ers grabbed at their opportunity and it is no 

 exaggeration to say that in the seven or eight 

 years which followed 1890 thousands of trot- 

 ting-bred stallions were emasculated, docked 

 and converted into heavy harness horses. Poor 

 excuses they were at the game, these rough old 



