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THE HORSE. 

 THE ROAD HORSE. 



The Road Horse ! more difficult to meet with in perfection than even the 

 hunter or the courser. There are many reasons for this. The price of 

 the hackney, or the horse of all-work, is so low, that he who has a good one 

 will not part with him ; and it is by mere accident that he can be obtained. 

 There are also several faults that can be overlooked in the hunter, but 

 which the road-horse must not have. The hunter may start, may be awk- 

 ward in his walk, or even his trot ; he may have thrushes or corns ; 

 but if he can go a good slapping pace, and has wind and bottom, we 

 can put up with him, or prize him : bat the hackney, if he be worth having, 

 must have good forelegs, and good hinder ones too; he must be sound on 

 his feet; even-tempered; no starter ; quiet in whatever situation he may 

 be placed ; not heavy in hand 3 and never disposed to say his prayers. 



If there be one thing more than any other, in which the possessor, and, 

 in his own estimation at least, the tolerable judge of the horse, is in error, 

 it is the action of the road-horse : " Let him lift his legs well," it is said, 

 " and he will never come down." 



In proportion, however, as he lifts his legs well, will be the force with 

 which he puts them down again ; the jar and concussion to the rider ; and 

 the battering and wear and tear of the feet, A horse with too great 

 *' knee action" will not always be speedy ; he will rarely be pleasant to 

 ride, and he will not, in the long run, be safer than others. The careless 

 daisy-cutter, however pleasant on the turf, should indeed be avoided, 

 unless the neck of the rider be previously insured ; yet it is a rule, not 

 often understood, and sometimes disputed, but which experience will 

 fully confirm, — that the safety of the horse depends a great deal more on 

 the manner in which he puts his feet down, than on that in which he lifts 

 them up : — more on the foot being placed at once flat on the ground, or 

 perhaps the heel coming first in contact with it, than on the highest and 

 most splendid action. 



When the toe first touches the ground, it may be easily supposed that 

 the horse will occasionally topple over. An unexpected obstacle will throw 

 the centre of gravity forward, and down he will come. If the toe dig into 

 the ground before the foot is firmly placed, a little thing will cause a trip 

 and a fall. 



