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OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



In England the Norfolk trotter is the light- 

 weight carriage and harness horse par excel- 

 lence. He conies from crossing the original 

 English blood with the Thoroughbred, adding 

 a slight mixture of Dutch blood. His trot is 

 noble and high stepping; he is well built, 

 though his back is sometimes a little hollow. 



The Hunter is also a half-breed ; but what 

 the Norfolk horse does in harness he does 



of the hunt, and power f)f endurance, while 

 their riders naturally require them to have a 

 pleasant, elastic motion. 



The half-bred Irish horse is much in demand 

 for military service. The Hackney, which has 

 many of the qualities of the Hunter, is also 

 used as a saddle horse, but on level roads, 

 however, because he is more fitted for quiet 

 riding than for jumping. Consequently the 



I'l.Ki 111 Ki iN 



under the saddle, as his name implies. Thor- 

 oughbreds are also used for hunting, but for 

 heavy-weight riders the half-bred hunter is 

 preferable. He is a descendant of heavy sires 

 and light-weight dams, especially Irish mares. 

 It often happens that a mare producing a 

 Hunter is partly Thoroughbred herself. The 

 principal qualities of these animals are strength 

 that enables them to carry heavy weights over 

 obstacles, speed to follow the pace, oj'ten rapid. 



chief qualities required of him are a fine gait, 

 elegance of shape, and docilit)-. 



The Cob is a small but sturdy horse, em- 

 ployed to draw light phaetons ; he is some- 

 times used as a riding horse for old gentlemen, 

 on account of his quiet and easy gait. He is 

 fiery, however, and a pail of water is often 

 given him, just before his master mounts, to 

 make him quieter. It was said that Sir Robert 

 Peel lost his life by being thrown from a Cob, 



