234 The Book of the Horse. 



correct in style and costume is to be found there or thereabouts, on foot and on hcrseback. 

 Nothing need be said to those unpretending people who frequent the Park at early hours simply 

 for exercise, not merely to see and be seen, and learn the gossip of the hour. 



Anything useful and safe — the latter quality is most important — will do for exercise, because 

 the matutinal promenaders are not presumed to be sacrificing to appearance. But no sight 

 can be more ridiculous than that of a well-dressed man or woman parading, with an intense 

 air of self-satisfaction, on a hideous or broken-down nag at mid-day, in the height of the season ; 

 dirty gloves and unblacked boots are quite as excusable in such a place. 



In the morning rides one Chief Justice prefers a Leicestershire hunter, another learned 

 brother a fat pony ; a Queen's Counsel, the terror of prevaricating witnesses, seems to have 

 a fancy for the cast-off weeds of a racing stable. The young Greek merchant, at whatever 

 hour, is always to be seen on a stcppare valued at three good figures ; and when Greek joins 

 Greek to the number of half a dozen, they will " step " along in a row, a wonderful sight, with 

 nearly ;^2,ooo worth of horseflesh, in a line. 



Baron Bullion generally prepares for the city on a creditable weight-carrying cob. Engineers 

 are, as a rule, well-mounted, according to their weight, because they are a class who, if they 

 appear above the ruck of respectable at all, endeavour to get the best article in the market, 

 and they take a first-class dealer into their confidence ; but fashionable physicians, when they 

 do ride abroad, seem very often to resort to livery, and not to get the best hacks, 



The following sketch is from the pen of a famous Piccadilly dealer, well known as a finished 

 horseman and fine coachman in London and Paris. Need I name the Mr. Sago who sold Digby 

 Grand his first cabriolet horse } 



" The park hack should have, with perfection of graceful form, graceful action, an exquisite 

 mouth, and perfect manners. He must be intelligent — amongst horses senseless brutes are 

 legion — for without intelligence, even with fine form and action, he never can be pleasant to 

 ride. Thoroughbred is to be preferred ; and if not quite, as nearly thoroughbred as possible, 

 of any colour except mealy or foul-marked. White marks often much improve, sometimes 

 quite disfigure a horse. 



" The head should be of the finest Oriental type ; the neck well arched, cut not too long ; 

 the shoulders light at the points, long, and grown well into the back. The loins should be 

 accurately arched, and the quarters level and nicely rounded, not drooping abruptly towards 

 the tail (like many capital hunters, famous racehorses, and useful road hacks). The mane 

 and tail should be full, straight, without the least suspicion of a curl, and every hair as soft 

 as silk ; four clean, well-shaped, well-placed legs, the fetlocks rather longer than would be 

 chosen for a hunter — from such a form action pleasant to the rider may be confidently expected, 

 and paces agreeable for even the commonest observer to follow. 



" The walk of a park hack should be perfection — fast, springy ; the legs moving as it were 

 independently of the body, without apparent exertion, with all the certainty of machinery, the 

 head carried in its right place, the neck gracefully curved, and the tail displaying a full flag 

 gracefully keeping time with the foot-falls. From the walk he should be able to bound into 

 any pace, in perfectly balanced action, that the rider may require." 



A slight defect in the wind will not be noticed if the rider knows when to drop from too 

 sharp a canter to a walk ; as for age, there are horses, the daily admiration of the Row, so 

 beautiful and so gay that they might be taken for colts, although they have nearly reached 

 man's majority. Perfect symmetry with perfect temper, the high courage that no sight or 

 sound alarms, perfect temper, lu.xurious paces, and, as a crowning glory, perfect manners both 



