CH. XVI HORSES FOR A TEAM ^8 



0"J 



one kind, legs of another, and body of a third, 

 which is to be avoided for all purposes. 



The horses of a drag-team should have 'quality,' 

 — that is, a certain fineness and distinction which 

 are not at all incompatible with strength. Weedy, 

 long-legged, tucked up, thin-necked horses are out 

 of place to a coach, especially at the wheel, however 

 well they may suit a hansom. 



Horses over sixteen hands are unnecessarily large ; 

 their rumps are too close to the foot-board ; those 

 under fifteen-two are somewhat small for an ordi- 

 nary coach, although if they are up-headed they may 

 do for leaders. 



For park driving, the leaders may have a good 

 deal of action, but it does not do for long drives, and 

 is not, to my taste at least, as good as the long 

 and only moderately high action which some trot- 

 ters have. A coach-team, to be perfect, must have 

 a sporting appearance, and look as if they were 

 good for long, continuous work, and not for trotting 

 all day in a space of a hundred yards. The horse- 

 shows of the past few years have opened the eyes 

 of judges and of the public to the fact that good 

 action is not incompatible with ability to get over 

 the ground, and, in a coach-team, the combination 

 is exactly what should be aimed at. 



Lord Algernon St. Maur (Driving-. Badminton 

 Library, 1889, P- l 9 2 ) says: 'I dislike carriage- 

 ' horses in a coach ; they are quite different animals 

 ' from coach-horses ;' this is true, but applies more 



