THE COACH HORSE. 



THE COACH HORSE. 



/ 



The opposite ENGRAVING represents one of our highest and most fashionable 

 forms of the COACH HORSE, trimmed, with respect to tail and mane, and harnessed 

 in the prevailing style of the gay and splendid Metropolis. 



Modern refinement has tasked itself, and most successfully, in all things, to 

 supersede inert and cumbrous substance by lightness, symmetry, and elegance, 

 sagaciously discovering a recompense for the loss of bulk and weight, in just and 

 adequate proportion. Thus has been the march of improvement in architectural 

 design, and thus in rearing the form of our domestic animals. It has been already 

 noticed, that our horses, used for the various purposes of quick draught, have re- 

 ceived their full share of the beneficial improvement of racing blood. With the 

 most sporting-like elegance of figure, we have acquired a vast addition of speed, 

 at the same time retaining even a superior to the former effective power. The 

 Coach Horses of former days were comparatively Dray Horses ; those of the pre- 

 sent wear rather the semblance of Hunters and Racers. Indeed our Race Horses, 

 by some ignorantly stigmatized as a spider-legged race, are bred up to such size 

 and strength, as many of them to be fully equal to the duties of the collar, and in 

 fact many are annually applied to such purpose, as well as to hunting and the 

 road, blood-like horses running in our public Coaches, Post Chaises, and Gentle- 

 mens' Curricles ; and as* fashion no longer demands a strict match of colour in 

 these travelling or airing carriages, a good opportunity is afforded of introducing 

 a valuable horse of whatever colour. 



CHARIOT HORSES are below the full coach size, about the height of the Curricle 

 Horse, with more substance and weight ; these last, with the GIG HORSE, are of 

 hunting size and figure, nor does this lighter part of quick draught at all injure 

 them as saddle-horses. The breeding Counties for Coach Horses, as well for all 

 kinds of saddle-horses, are chiefly Yorkshire, the Bishopric of Durham, ano 1 perhaps 

 Northumberland. The former horses are the produce of large mares, generally 

 with some shew of blood, and half or three part bred stallions, and frequently 

 racing stallions of great size and bone. This coaching stock, when bred with 

 judgment and well shaped, has, for a number of years, produced very high prices, 

 and brought great returns to the studs of the above counties, a pair of clever, 

 well-shaped coach horses of the first size, being often sold for upwards of four 

 hundred guineas. It appears to the present writer, that considerable improvement 

 has been made in the form of these horses, within the last thirty years, although 

 certainly much yet remains to be done by the judicious breeder, since even at 



