64 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



with the man who rides a hack the first thing 

 needed is a ' pleasant ride/ 



At many of our shows there are classes for 

 Park Hacks and for Covert Hacks, and amongst 

 the exhibits are many horses standing i6 hands 

 or even i6 hands 2 inches. They are commanding- 

 looking horses and look well in a show ring but to 

 my mind they are scarcely ideal Hacks. An 

 ideal hack should be under rather than over 15 

 hands 2 inches, short -legged and short-coupled and 

 with deep well-placed shoulders. The reader will 

 find the sort of horse in the classes for ** Hacks of 

 the Hunter type not exceeding 15 hands 2 inches " 

 which have become prevalent in some districts 

 since Mr. John Henry Stokes of Great Bowden 

 initiated them at Newark show a few years ago. 



A hack is wanted altogether for pleasure but 

 it is as well that he should be capable of doing a 

 few good days' work on end even if he is never 

 called upon to do them. There is little satisfac- 

 tion in having your stable encumbered with what 

 the Yorkshireman described as ''a goodlike 

 nowt (nothing)." Still the modern hack is essenti- 

 ally a horse for pleasure as distinguished from 

 work and consequently what might be passed in 

 a horse of great capabilities is quite unpardonable 

 in him. It is essential that he should be good- 

 looking. A plain head or a neck upside down is 

 unpardonable but it may be overlooked in a 

 hunter, especially after you have gone well through 

 a brilliant run and there are only two or three 

 left to notice your horse's peculiarities. 



