HARNESSING — HARNESS ROOM 



hands as possible, or over, not too fast or high in action, is 

 sought for, whilst in the latter, one of 15 hands 3 inches, or 16 

 hands, will be big enough, but he must be a mover and capable 

 of getting over the ground. The brougham horse occupies an 

 intermediate position between the above, as he should possess 

 more substance than the victoria horse and more style and 

 quality than the coacher ; whilst the buggy horse not only 

 should be a brilliant mover, but he should show no coarseness 

 and yet have substance. In all cases the harness horse 

 should stand on a good set of well-made, full-sized feet, and 

 his legs should be flat and have plenty of bone, the pasterns 

 being long and sloping enough to withstand the work on 

 hard roads, which, as these horses are more or less high- 

 steppers, might otherwise produce concussion. The neck 

 should be of a nice length, else he will have a difficulty in 

 saving himself should he stumble, and of course a well-laid 

 shoulder is desirable for the same reason ; but a long, sloping 

 one is not so essential in a harness horse as it is in a hack. 

 The ribs should be well rounded and the chest deep, the 

 back short and the quarters long and level, with the middle- 

 piece well ribbed up at the loins. Action, however, is one 

 of the most important characteristics of the harness horse, 

 and without it his value is comparatively small, no matter 

 how good-looking he may be. (See Action, Cleveland Bay, 

 Hackney, Yorkshire Coach-horse.) 



Harnessing. — (See Driving.) 



Harness Room. — It is essential that if harness is to look 

 and wear well there should be a proper place provided for 

 keeping it in. Hence the mistake of hanging up harness 

 in the stable, where the leather is soon damaged by the 

 exhalations of the horses, or in a cold place, where it becomes 

 hard and apt to crack. A warm coach-house will do if no 

 better accommodation can be provided, but it is far better to 

 have the harness in a room by itself, and there should always 

 be a stove available for use in cold weather ; and if there is a 



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