THE HACKNEY OR HARNESS HORSE. 33 



Hackneys are over sixteen hands. The terms 

 *' Hackney " pony, and cob, seem to be almost 

 sufficiently explanatory, though the former may 

 be said to comprise '* Hackneys " under fourteen 

 hands, and the latter between fourteen-two and 

 fifteen hands. Very high prices are commonly 

 paid for typical Hackneys, and at no time in the 

 history of the breed has the Hackney pony been 

 more popular than it is at the present. There is 

 no doubt that if a first-class Hackney sire be 

 selected, and mated, say, with a good Welsh mare, 

 or other hill pony, the produce should be very 

 satisfactory, and a profitable business might be 

 established, through breeding this class of pony. 

 Like every other variety of horse, no matter whether 

 of good or bad breeding, the Hackney has its defects 

 of conformation, and causes of unsoundness, some 

 of which are believed to be of a hereditary nature ; 

 though it is quite probable that many of these 

 so-called hereditary ailments have not been 

 handed from parent to progeny. If one is thinking 

 of purchasing a pedigree Hackney, the horse repos- 

 itories are not the places to seek such an animal ; 

 but the right plan is to open negotiations with some 

 breeder of repute, making arrangements to look 

 over his stud. Many breeders have an annual 



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