DESCRIPTION OF A CO AC HER 97 



tressing to see an imperfect neck checked up far 

 above its capacity. This has led to unqualified con- 

 demnation of the overdraw check or, in fact, of checks 

 in any form. (For a full discussion of harness, see 

 Chapter XXII.) If a coacher has the ideal head and 

 neck, many slight deficiencies of body may be over- 

 looked. A tall, longish- necked horse not infrequently 

 has a long, somewhat depressed back, which is objec- 

 tionable. If the lofty neck, slim and flexible at the 

 throat -latch, symmetrically attached to the shoulder of 

 a selected dam, can be united in the foal with the 

 strong, short back of the sire, much will have been 

 accomplished toward producing a valuable coacher. 

 (See Breeding, Chapter XIII.) But, "over all," the 

 coacher must have good length, though if it be too 

 great, especially if the back be too long, endurance 

 and spirit are likely to be lacking. The legs, like 

 the neck, should be flexible and long rather than short, 

 with high action rather than long reach. While the old 

 saying that "a coacher should travel with his knees 

 in his throat -latch and his feet in a bushel basket" 

 is so exaggerated as to lose force, still it helps to 

 emphasize the fact that coachers should have high 

 knee and hock action, in which case the reach will 

 not be long. The coacher is not designed so much 

 for speed as for display, coupled with hard work for 

 short periods. The coacher should have courage and 

 staying power, for it will require both if the proud, 

 high, elastic trot is to be maintained for two or three 

 consecutive hours over rough pavements with a load 

 suited to a light pair at a walk. 



