THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. D87 



amusement, and he transports us long distances on onr 

 personal avocations. On some only of these occasions 

 speed is desirable ; but on all safety is indispensable ; 

 and next to that, is the ease with which his motions 

 are performed. These requisites remove the hackney 

 still further than the hunter from that form which best 

 suits the purposes of the racer. In the hackney, 

 therefore, we scrutinize his fore quarters with the same 

 attention that we pay to the hinder parts of the racer ; 

 for, as to the purposes of the latter, the fore parts are 

 subordinate to the hinder, so in the hackney, speed 

 being infinitely less important than either ease or 

 safety, and particularly the latter, it is essential that 

 his fore parts be so formed as to ensure these proper- 

 ties. And here it may not be irrelevant to inquire, on 

 what does the safety of action mainly depend ? Is it 

 on any particular care of the animal himself in his 

 progression ? or does it necessarily arise out of certain 

 peculiarities in his formation, dependent on such an 

 elevation of his feet as will ensure his not stumbling 

 by any erroneous placing of them ? The close ob- 

 server, I think, will answer, that both are concerned : 

 many horses go safely, and yet by no means elevate 

 their legs high ; but such are attentive to their steps ; 

 and when they see stones or other risings in their 

 path, carefully avoid them. In my early practice I 

 was called on to examine a horse intended for the 

 French court, at the stables of that veteran dealer 

 Choppin. I objected to the horse that he went close 

 to the ground, which even his owner could not deny : 

 but he still argued, that, although he did appear to go 

 near the ground, yet that he was particularly safe in 

 ail his paces ; and, as a lure to the purchase, would 

 have offered a bet, that on the roughest ground he 

 would not make one trip. As the animal in all other 



