THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 423 



with the smallest obstacle or inequality of the road. In 

 his action he ought to lift "his fore-legs high, and have 

 a well-bent knee ; his hind-legs should be placed consider- 

 ably behind him, and widely set. 



We must, however, remark, that he ought only to lift his 

 fore-legs moderately high. Some are of opinion that the 

 higher he lifts them the better, and conceive that while 

 possessed of this quality he never will come down. This is 

 a mistake, and it will be found that a horse that raises his 

 feet too high in trotting, produces a disagreeable action, and 

 shakes and fatigues even the best of riders ; besides, he 

 batters his hoofs to pieces in a few years. The principal 

 thing to be attended to is the manner in which the hackney 

 puts his feet to the ground ; for if his toes first touch the 

 road, he is sure to be a stumbler ; the foot should come flat 

 down on the whole sole at once, otherwise the horse is not 

 to be depended upon in his trotting. But every rider in 

 passing along a road should be constantly on his guard, as 

 the best horse may come down by a rolling or loose stone 

 getting under his feet, and therefore his mouth should 

 always be felt by the rider. 



Some persons prefer hollow-backed horses on account of 

 their paces being generally easy ; but it is an ascertained fact 

 that they will never stand much work : the back should be 

 straight and rather short than otherwise. Many suppose 

 that if the fore legs of a horse are close, the feet must 

 necessarily cut the pasterns ; but this is by no means 

 the case, as it is only when the feet are twisted or irre- 

 gularly set in one way or other that they cut. Indeed a 

 saddle-horse can hardly be too close before, or too wide 

 behind. 



Another most essential point in a hackney is, that his 

 sight is good, otherwise he is sure to shy at every object 



