COACH HORSES 



De Voe Meade 



Tnstnutor. Department of Animal Hushandrv, Cornell University, Ithaca 



GENERAL DESCKIPTIOX 



A typical coach horse stands 15-2 to 16 

 luuids and weighs from 1,000 to 1,250 

 pounds. He shonld have hii>,]i knee and 

 liock action, which conies from breeding 

 I'ather than from artificial means of de- 

 velopment. He is not required to have 

 great speed nor marked powers of en- 

 durance, but must move fairly fast with 

 much ease and grace of carriage. The 

 coacher must be very fine in quality, smooth 

 and symmetrical in all of his outline, and 

 must carry his head and tail high. The 

 coacher is heavier, smoother and more stylish than the road horse, 

 and must be stylish and aristocratic in his bearing in order that 

 he mav look well in fine harness and draw handsome carriaaes. 

 The knees should be raised high and the feet in their flight should 

 follow the circumference of a circle without pause, hesitation or 

 thrusting foi'ward as they approach the ground. The entire 

 make-up of the coacher should be symmetrical, bold, refined, 

 stylish, and the bearing aristocratic. 



THE HACKNEY 



History 



This breed originated in Norfolk, England, and is the result 

 of crossing the Thoroughbred stallions on native Norfolk trotting 

 mares, the latter being noted for great speed and endurance, par- 

 ticularly under the saddle. The important changes in the de- 

 velopment of the Thoroughbred probably began with the horse 

 known as the Original Shales, foaled in 1755. This horse was 

 undoul)tedly sired hy T)lazp, a son of Flying Childers, and out of 



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