124 THE HACKNEY. 



shoulders, and excellent hinder-legs, being able to 

 carry their riders in a canter, over every variation 

 of road, downhill, as well as uphill, without offering 

 to break into a trot, for a great distance of ground ; 

 and, although not appearing to go more than at 

 the rate of nine miles in the hour, are really going 

 twelve. This is the result of the perfection of the 

 points to which we have alluded, and can never be 

 looked for in horses of a contrary make, whose 

 shoulders are short and stiff, and their hinder-legs 

 straight. Above all things, what is called " fight- 

 ing action" in a hackney should be avoided ; neither 

 ought the fore-leg to be thrown out with a dart, as 

 it is always attended with a dwelling, or temporary 

 suspension of the foot, previously to its reaching 

 the ground. 



Most horses have some peculiarities about them, 

 if not absolute "tricks," as vicious practices in 

 horses are designated. Starting has already been 

 noticed ; but plunging is still more dangerous, as 

 in that case a horse seldom stops until he have 

 unseated his rider, at least made many attempts 

 to do so, or thrown himself upon the ground. This 

 latter trick often proceeds, not from sheer vice, but 

 from a sense of pain in the horse, from being too 

 tightly girthed ; or from the (to him) very unplea- 

 sant sensation of a cold saddle, with a weight upon 

 it, being pressed to his back ; and having once 

 taken a dislike to it, he is very apt to continue it. 

 Against each of these evils, it is in our power to 

 provide. Against the first, by not girthing the 

 liorse tightly, for the doing of which there is no 



