146 [JNASKED ADVICE. 



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I have instanced roaring as being a very common and 

 a universally-known species of unsoundness. It is ruin 

 to a hunter (owners of roarers are fond of telling one 

 that " he makes a noise^ but it doesn^t stop him j^^ in one 

 case out of ten thousand perhaps it may not do so to any 

 great extent) and next thing to ruin in a hack^ for there 

 is no comfort in riding a " bull/^ though he may carry 

 one w ell on the road. But for harness/ as aforesaid^ a 

 roarer may be as good as his neighbours. A harness 

 horse, too, may have a leg that would never stand hunt- 

 ing, or even hacking, and yet, with no weight on his 

 back, he may step away merrily for an indefinite time. 

 In fact, as long as a machine has sound feet, he can get 

 along with almost any fault. Even a ricked back will not 

 incapacitate a horse for harness — of course, if the injury 

 be moderate only. Sound feet are required, because a 

 harness horse is always on hard ground; and sound 

 hocks, for appearance sake, are desirable. A hunter may 

 go for years with a spavin that lames him on coming out 

 of the stable and after work, and often he gets no worse; 

 but a harness horse who stands about would have to 

 make so many fresh starts, '^ working sound " each time, 

 but always starting lame, that the appearance of the thing 

 would be objected to. The horse might do his work, 

 however, without much inconvenience to himself. 



A hack must be sound to be agreeable ; he is knocked 

 about on hard ground, he is wanted six days, perhaps, in 

 a week, and, being required to minister both to business 

 and pleasure, must be the nearest approach to equine 

 perfection procurable. He must be perfectly sound ; but 

 really with other horses I must be allowed to say, ^' Je ne 

 vois pas la necessite.'^ 



In a hunter soundness is an advantage no doubt, but 



