THE HACKNEY OR HARNESS HORSE. 35 



strong fore-arm, of moderate length, with broad, 

 clean-jointed knees, wide at their j miction with 

 the cannons, are necessary qualities. Below the 

 knees, the legs should be particularly clean — i.e.^ 

 there should be no waste of material beneath the 

 skin, nothing but skin, bone and tendons being felt, 

 when manipulated with the hands. Any tendency 

 towards coarseness, swelling, or disease, in this 

 region, necessarily constitutes a fault ; but the 

 most important of all for the intending purchaser 

 to note is whether there be evidence of ^' splint," 

 thickening of the tendons, etc. For the detection 

 of these, the reader is referred to the section of the 

 book dealing with the causes of unsoundness ; also 

 the chapter on conformation. 



The feet constitute such an important part, not 

 only of a Hackney, but of any horse, that the buyer 

 must make a most careful inspection of them, other- 

 wise he will probably find that he has to suffer 

 through neglect in this respect. 



The hocks should be carefully examined for the 

 presence of such diseases as bone spavin, bursal 

 enlargements, etc., and particular attention should 

 be given to " hock action," because, if a horse 

 does not freely flex his hocks, he is no good either 

 for saddle, or for harness purposes. Puffy swellings 



3* 



