116 ROAD, TRACK, AND STABLE. 



though he has seen many others, pulling, crazy crea- 

 tures, that would keep up a pace as fast, or even 

 faster, till they dropped. Of these two pleasant 

 roadsters, capable of covering twelve miles in sixty 

 minutes, one trotted all the way, up and down hill, 

 whereas the other walked up the steep ascents, and 

 went so much the faster where the grade was favor- 

 able. The latter method is easier and better for 

 most horses. 



The capabilities of a roadster having now been indi- 

 cated in a general way, the first and most obvious in- 

 quiry is, What will be the conformation aud appear- 

 ance of a horse likely to possess them ? Upon this 

 subject it is dangerous to dogmatize. For example, a 

 flat-sided, thin-waisted animal is apt to be wanting in 

 endurance, and yet there have been some notable ex- 

 ceptions to this rule. A leading quality of the road 

 horse is shortness ; that is, his back should be short, 

 and, it may be added, straight. The same is true of 

 his legs, especially as regards the cannon-bone. A 

 short cannon-bone is perhaps the most nearly indispen- 

 sable characteristic of a roadster. The knees should 

 be large, the hocks well let down, and the hind quar- 

 ters closely coupled to the back. The belly should be 

 of good size, and round. George Borrow, a thorough 

 horseman, makes the old hostler in " Lavengro " say : 

 " Never buy a horse at any price that has not plenty of 

 belly. No horse that has not plenty of belly is ever a 

 good feeder, and a horse that an't a good feeder can- 

 not be a good horse." He should have great depth of 

 lung and a moderately broad chest. Good, sound feet 

 of medium size, and pastern joints neither straight 

 nor oblique, are essential. It is no harm if his neck 



