THE HACK. 273 



draught, except the heavy cart-horse. Taking the Hmits as 

 the racer and Shire horse, I may say that the conformation of 

 the animal should approach that of the former, or of the latter, 

 according as his work is fast or slow. The only difference 

 which I can discover between the respective shape of the race- 

 horse and match trotter (or match pacer), is that powerful loin 

 muscles and shortness of body, in comparison to height, are not 

 so essential to the latter as to the former. The reason for 

 this difference, as far as I can see, is that in galloping, more 

 muscular effort has to be spent in raising the forehand, than 

 when trotting or pacing. The ordinary trapper should be 

 thicker in the shoulders than the saddle nag ; and, if he has 

 strong hind quarters and fair action, he may be pardoned if 

 he be long in the back, slack in the loins, and somewhat 

 flat-sided. ^ For fashionable town work, the harness horse 

 will, as a rule, require to be either one of the smart small 

 sort, or of the imposing brougham type. The former should 

 have all the good looks and " quality "of a well-bred, middle 

 weight hack. The latter should measure high at the 

 withers ; should have sloping shoulders, so as to have free 

 action in front ; and should carry his head high. Owing to 

 the manner in which he is bitted and " checked," his hind 

 action is not taken much into consideration. Between these 

 two kinds of horses, there is as much difference, as between 

 a clever bull-terrier and an overgrown, weak-loined mastiff. 

 Being a professional breaker, I can vouch for the fact that 

 fashionable trotting action is the result of training and, not of 

 conformation. For pairs and teams, horses should match in 

 height, colour, general character, action, manners, and mouth. 



The Hack.— The chief points about the hack are that he 



