198 The Book of the Horse. 



an hour, nodding their heads, and carrying them in the right place, without tripping or shy- 

 ing, ivlien going koine, or when competing with another horse ; but the most famous Piccadilly 

 dealer once said to me, " I will go a long way to see a horse that will begin and walk at 

 the rate of five miles an hour alone on leaving his stable." Hacks walk well in Rotten 

 Row, when it is crowded ; they are full of emulation, and there is no better place for teach- 

 ing tlT£m to walk without breaking. A heavy man should find out if the hack offered him 

 for purchase can stand still wider Iiim, and walk down hill without a trip or drop. Begin, 

 therefore, when selecting a horse for generally useful purposes, by finding out whether he can 

 walk, first led with a loose rein and then with a rider on him. A good walker is a treasure 

 not to be expected, if the animal is also good-looking, for a low price. If you want to ride 

 for pleasure have nothing to do with a bad walker at any price. 



The faults of walkers are dropping, tripping, brushing, and cutting. Dropping is a very 

 unpleasant defect, it gives a sensation as if the horse were about to fall on his knees ; if he 

 never has fallen perhaps he never will, but it is generally the sign of overwork or old age, 

 or both, and if of old age incurable. A horse may be useful and go in very pleasant style 

 in harness which is not at all fit to ride. At the same time, after a change from a heavy 

 man to a light one, horses will sometimes cease to drop. If a horse trips zvkile fresh, look to 

 his shoeing ; bad shoeing will make the very best horses stumble, and the very best horses 

 will stumble and trip when they are tired. A horse not in condition is very soon tired, 

 then stumbles, trips, brushes, cuts, and perhaps knuckles over with hind or fore-legs. 



It is a common phrase that a horse that walks well can do every other pace well. No 

 maxim can be more fallacious. A broad-chested horse may walk magnificently, but he is 

 likely to be slow, and will probably roll in his gallop. A horse may walk well and not be 

 able to trot any pace ; finally, a magnificent walker may be a perfect slug. Amongst the 

 horses ridden by the police patrol are to be found examples of fine walkers that can by no 

 persuasion of whip or spur be made to do more than six miles an hour. The best hack I 

 ever possessed, with no pedigree, but supposed to have a cross of thoroughbred and Barb 

 blood, could walk five and trot sixteen miles an hour with a loose rein. This mare rolled 

 in cantering in a most ridiculous manner, and could not gallop faster than she trotted ; she 

 never broke in trotting, however pressed. She continued sound until fourteen or fifteen years 

 old, and then died from the effects of an accident. I also had a thoroughbred hack, by 

 Voltigeur, afterwards the favourite of an earl's daughter, that walked admirably and cantered 

 perfectly, but could not trot six miles an hour. 



A hack that can carry weight, and do nothing else but walk really well, stepping 

 "briskly out of the ground," "carrying his own head," is worth money, provided always that 

 he has "character" and "good manners." The customers who most value such an animal are 

 heavy, no longer young, and rich. They do not want to gallop at all, and a very slow 

 smooth trot or canter is enough for them. 



The trot is the all-important pace in harness, and the favourite pace of Englishmen 

 riding. It may be fast or slow, or both, but to be perfect it should be performed with the 

 most mechanical precision by all the four legs. Under saddle, a good trotter can do si.x 

 miles an hour in good form, and increase the pace up to eight, ten, or twelve miles an hour ; 

 beyond twelve miles an hour with most horses, except in harness, it is better to turn to a 

 hand-gallop. For park work, or on the stones, eight miles is quite fast enough in either 

 saddle or harness. In harness a horse ought to be able to do ten or twelve with ease. 

 Mail-phaeton horses and the wheelers of a four-liorsc coach arc not perfect unless they can 



