46 HACKNEYS. 



"haggis," a very healthy national dish, most indigestible to most Englishmen. There 

 seems a disposition on the part of some of our northern friends to go back to the original 

 verb, and make the Hackney Stud Book a sort of "haggis" Stud Book; at any rate, a 

 Stud Book for hacks. Now, hacks and hackneys are very different animals." 



From the above it will be seen that the Horse-Breeder is disposed 

 to exercise what in America we call "good horse sense," in that it 

 emphatically objects to the introduction of any more outside blood, and 

 consequent production of a "haggis," or in American parlance "hash," 

 Stud Book. The American Hackney Horse Society of New York City 

 is the one recognized by the English Association as the "Hackney 

 Association of the United States," and as such should be the one to pay 

 close attention to the real improvement of the Hackney breed. A 

 proposition has been made offering to compromise on a set of rules for 

 entry, and it is hoped that the two American Associations will agree 

 upon some of the disputed points, and work together for Hackney 

 interests. 



DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



The colors found are bays, blacks, browns and chestnuts, often 

 with white star and sometimes with white feet and ankles. In size they 

 are about equal to the French Coacher, standing 15 to 16 hands high 

 and weighing from 1,000 to 1,300 pounds. The Hackney is especially 

 high at the withers ; shoulders strongly slanted ; neck well crested, and 

 carrying the head very high ; back short ; legs of medium length, close 

 knit ; cannons broad and flat ; pasterns shorter than with Thorough- 

 breds and Trotters, but longer than with draft breeds ; feet firm and of 

 moderate size ; forearm especially short, giving an unusually high knee 

 action, and quarters well muscled and compact. 



The fashion has made it imperative to practice "docking," which 

 consists in shortening the tail to a length of about 10 to 14 inches, and 

 cutting the cords so as to force its carriage at a certain angle. The 

 illustration will give a better idea of the appearance of the tail after this 

 operation than can be given by word description. 



The Hackney's disposition is usually kind, and his speed in har- 

 ness, while by no means comparing with that of the trotting horse, is 

 still amply sufficient for all heavy carriage use. The Hackney really 

 approaches closer to the standard of the Trotter than any of the other 

 carriage breeds. They are uniformly hardy, strongly built, have an 

 abundance of "style," and the best specimens can be relied on for 

 endurance at long distance. 



The Hackney has become the English gentleman's favorite horse, 

 of-all-work being largely used for park-riding as well as light road 

 driving ; and in our eastern cities, where the tendency is so often to 

 pattern after English custom and style, the Hackney finds his most con. 

 genial American home. 



