COACH HORSES. 353 



shouldered horse, however, seldom makes even a good 

 coach horse, and I think that is rather a prominent 

 feature in English horseflesh. 



Coach horses are subject to many accidents, and to 

 one of a peculiar nature — namely, to broken legs, and 

 broken in the act of trotting on fair ground. Fractures 

 in the foot in draught horses and others are common, 

 and La Fosse mentions several of them ; but fractures of 

 the leg in trotting over level ground are, as I have 

 before said, peculiar to coach horses, and doubtless caused 

 by over-tension of the limb in the act of drawing. I have 

 heard of scores, but never witnessed more than one of 

 these distressing accidents, and this was about two years 

 ago, in the Southampton ' Telegraph '- — a rather singular 

 coincidence attending it. I was sitting by the side of 

 Peer, who was driving, and we were arrived within half 

 a mile of Bagshot. ' The old mare (near leader) goes 

 lame this morning,' said I. — 'Why, yes,' replied Peer, 

 ' her corns want dressing.' — ' Did you ever break a 

 horse's leg ? ' resumed I. — ' Twice,' answered Peer. 

 These words were scarcely out of our mouths, when I 

 exclaimed — ' Pull up ! the job is done — the old mare has 

 broken her leg.' Peer doubted it, but on getting down 

 to her, found it was broken just above the fetlock joint. 

 We took her out of the coach, left her on the road, and 

 in half an hour she was put out of her pain. At the 

 time the accident happened we were not going more than 

 nine miles an hour, on a road as smooth as a barn floor. 

 A coach horse's leg is in most danger of being broken, 



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