COUPLINGS — COVERT HACK 



Couplings. — A term applied to the body and loins of a 

 horse, which couple his two ends together. 



Courage. — A stout heart and generous disposition is an 

 indispensable attribute of every working horse, as unless 

 he possesses courage no animal will struggle on under diffi- 

 culties, or get to the end of a long and trying journey in good 

 style. Consequently a faint-hearted horse which declines to 

 struggle when the pinch comes is as unsatisfactory as he is 

 unreliable, and can never be depended upon to do his best, 

 though occasionally he may surprise those who know him by 

 a spasmodic display of pluck, which proves that he is a good 

 horse when he chooses. Faint-heartedness undoubtedly runs 

 in families, and hence the risk of breeding from a sire or 

 dam which has displayed the white feather, as their stock 

 are pretty certain to inherit the failing. No doubt the blood 

 of a generous, stout-hearted thoroughbred is the best of all 

 foundations for imparting courage, but, unfortunately, many 

 blood - horses are not merely non - stayers, but pronounced 

 cowards, and hence the absurdity of breeding from a 

 thoroughbred sire simply because he happens to be good- 

 looking, and the extreme desirability of enquiring closely 

 into his antecedents and those of his family. It is a grand 

 mistake, too, to regard the blood-horse as the only member 

 of the equine race that is possessed of courage, for many a 

 cart-horse and member of other breeds will struggle on under 

 difficulties in a manner which could not be surpassed by any 

 thoroughbred in the world. At the same time, beyond all 

 doubt a stout-hearted thoroughbred is the best and gamest 

 horse in existence. (See Speed, Stayer.^ 



Covert Hack. — As his name implies, the covert hack is 

 an animal used for the purpose of conveying his owner to a 

 meet of hounds. He should therefore be of a good riding 

 type, with well-placed shoulders, sound legs and feet, and a 

 good back and quarters. He ought, moreover, to be a nice, 

 easy mover both at the trot and canter, but nothing in the 



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