ACTION. 123 



that a much greater elevation than this would ap- 

 proach too near the perpendicular, for any kind of 

 foot^ As the inner heel or quarter has more weight 

 thrown upon it than the outer, it is the principal 

 seat of corns and sandcracks, for which reason 

 great care should be taken that an even bearing to 

 the whole of the crust be given by the smith to the 

 foot of the hackney, previously to his setting on 

 the shoe, the inner heel being given to wear away 

 more than the outer on that account. 



In the action of the hackney consists his chief 

 merit. It should be smooth, and with not too long 

 a step, or stride, or he will tire. He should also 

 go straight on his legs, as the' term is ; for although 

 horses that dish their legs may be, and commonly 

 are, safe goers, yet they are disagreeable to ride in 

 wet roads, as they cover the rider with mud. As 

 we have already observed, the action of a hackney 

 should not be high, as that tends to fatigue the 

 rider and destroy himself ; and if he puts his foot 

 well down on the ground, he will never fall, by 

 reason of his action being low, and he will last the 

 lono^er for its beins: low. 



The paces of the hackney are in a great measure 

 dependent on the will of his owner. The walk and 

 the canter are most essential to what may be called 

 the pleasure hackney ; but, for general purposes, 

 the trot is the most useful and available pace in a 

 roadster, and one in which he will continue longer, 

 according to the rate he is going at, than in the 

 canter. There are instances, however, and here is 

 perfection in a hackney, of horses with very oblique 



