246 HUMANE HORSE-TRAINING 



noticed his hind action, instead of getting wider, got 

 closer, and eventually he began to brush, which necessi- 

 tated our making a Yorkshire boot. I was quite reason- 

 able ; I did not judge all Hackneys by this particular one, 

 for this gentleman had a Hackney mare who could trot 

 a journey alongside any trotter. She was a most charm- 

 ing mare ; in fact, she was more like a trotter than a 

 Hackney. 



True, the British-bred trotter has been described as 

 a nondescript. Why ? Because he has never been 

 given a fair chance. No one endeavoured to form a 

 society until the National Trotting-Horse Breeders' 

 Association was formed during the war, when trotters 

 were so scarce; and the few dozen bred through this 

 effort are, I am pleased to say, of uniform type. Usually 

 the trotting stallion is used to ordinary mares. I have 

 known a famous trotting stallion to cover in one season 

 a few Iceland pony mares, two or three thoroughbred 

 mares, Welsh ponies and Forest ponies, besides a few 

 Hackney mares — ^but not the pure trotting-bred mares, 

 because they are being raced, and race-horse owners seldom 

 take interest in breeding. So can one wonder that the 

 British-bred trotters are nondescript ? 



There is one thing I should like to say, and that is, 

 when anyone breeds a pony or cob out of any of the 



