140 THE HACK. 



man's saddle, a long- backed horse will look better in the former than in the 

 latter. This fact, however, is no argument in favor of length of back in a 

 lady's horse. I may mention that undue length of back is a grave defect in 

 any kind of a horse, no matter what may be the work for which he is in- 

 tended. For riding, an animal cannot have too short a back. 



"A lady's horse should carry his head at an angle of 45° to the ground. 

 He should neither bore his head down nor have the habit of chucking it up. 

 Unless the rider is a fine horsewoman, her mount should not have a very 

 light mouth ; for if he has, he will be apt to resent any undue interference, 

 and may get out of control on slight provocation. Besides, very delicate- 

 mouthed horses which have (as would be necessary for a lady) a lofty car- 

 riage of the head, are apt to rear, if their mouths are pulled about. To 

 avoid any such objectionable tendency, a woman cannot drop her hands in 

 the same way as a man. The action of her hands being thus hampered by 

 the way she is perched up on her saddle, her horse's mouth should not be so 

 sensitive that he would not allow some liberties to be taken with it. I may 

 mention that rearing is one of the most dangerous vices a lady's horse can 

 possess ; because, when he is in the act of ' coming over,' it is almost im- 

 possible for her to jump off and get clear of danger ; nor can she lower her 

 hands and throw her weight forward (like a man can do) so as to prevent 

 the animal from getting up to the critical point. 



" For ladies, geldings are preferable to either horses or mares. The 

 former are especially objectionable in England ; the latter, in tropical 

 climates. 



THE HACK. 



" The perfect hack must have a variety of excellences such as, indeed, 

 are very rarely found in one horse, but the real requisites may perhaps be 

 reduced to four. In the first place, it goes without saying that he must be 

 free from any such obvious disqualifications as rank unsoundness or pro- 

 nounced vice. A little blood is, however, a great desideratum in a saddle 

 horse, and in general there are no better animals for the purpose than half- 

 breds, who unite the grace and fashion of their blue blood with the sedater 

 demeanor of a humbler parentage. In the second place, good legs and 

 feet are an essential. A young horse may be actually sound and may yet 

 have what seem all the elements of unsoundness — dubious hocks, joints 



