THE HACKNEY HORSE. 25 



cedents of the breed may commence to labour under the 

 erroneous impression that the subject of this chapter is a 

 horse without a history ; but nothing, as a matter of fact, 

 can possibly be further from the fact. The early periods of 

 its existence will shortly be alluded to below ; but it is first 

 necessary to refer to the services that have been rendered 

 to the breed by those enthusiasts in East Anglia and in the 

 wolds of Yorkshire, who, for generations past, through good 

 report and evil, have treasured up the old blood that has been 

 left them by their fathers ; and whose loyalty and devotion to 

 the Hackney are now bringing forth golden fruit as the fit 

 reward of their staunchness and devotion in the days when 

 the Hackney horse was at a discount. These men stuck to 

 the breed, and bred it pure, not only from feelings of affec- 

 tion, but from that implicit consciousness of its meri.ts which 

 a long association with it had impressed upon their minds ; 

 and great indeed must be their exultation in the hour of its, 

 and their, triumph over prejudice and ignorance. 



That the Hackney is unfortunately still the victim of both 

 these enemies is an admitted fact that no attempt to explain 

 away can possibly accomplish, but that the horse has now 

 attained an unassailable position, and will live down such 

 attacks as may be made upon him is happily an equally 

 accepted certainty. It is, however, as remarkable as it is 

 regrettable, that the chief imputations upon the Hackney come 

 from professed supporters of the thoroughbred, very many of 

 whom would be highly surprised to learn that the society's 

 Stud Book contains references to, and the pedigrees of, horses 

 that were foaled as far back as the middle of the last century. 

 Consequently, it is surprising that such sticklers for blood 

 should express disdain at animals, in whose veins the blood of 

 the Darley Arabian and his illustrious successors most un- 

 doubtedly flows, but it is perhaps within the limits of possi- 

 bility that the attention that such breeders of hunters as Earl 

 Spencer and others are bestowing upon the Hackney, has 

 excited a feeling of rivalry within their breasts. Admitting 



