83 



THE DIFFERENT BREEDS OF ENGLISH HORSES. 



The fore-legs should be perfectly straight. There needs not a moment's con- 

 sideration to be convinced that a horse with his knees bent will, from a slight 

 cause, and especially if he is overweighted, come down. 



The back should be straight and short, yet sufficiently long to leave comfort- 

 able room for the saddle between the shoulders and the huck without pressing on 

 either. Some persons prefer a hollow-backed horse. He is generally an easy 

 one to go. He will canter well with a lady ; but he will not carry a heavy weight, 

 nor stand much hard work. 



The read-horse should be high in the forehand ; round in the barrel ; and 

 deep in the chest : the saddle will not then press too forward, but the girths will 

 remain, without crupper, firmly fixed in their proper place. 



A hackney is far more valuable for the pleasantness of his paces, and his safety, 

 good temper, and endurance, than for his speed. We rarely want to go more 

 than eight or ten miles in an hour ; and, on a journey, not more than six or 

 seven. The fast horses, and especially the fast trotters, are not often easy in 

 their paces, and although they may perform very extraordinary feats, are dis- 

 abled and worthless when the slower horse is in his prime. 



THE UACKNEY. 



The above is the portrait of one that belonged to an old friend of the author 

 He was no beauty, and yet he was full of good points. He was never out of 

 temper-he never stumbled-he never showed that he was tired -most 

 certain y was never off his feed-but, being a strange fellow to eat, he one 

 day, although the groom had a thousand times been cautioned, gorged hhnsdf 

 and was immediately taken out by his owner, ignorant of 4,1 oX to 

 be ridden somewhat far and fast. At about the middle of the intended journey 

 he almost stopped ;_he would after this have gone on at his usual pace ^ 

 it was evzdent that something unusual was L matter with him Tnd hi 

 master stopped at the first convenient place. The stomach was rTurea ail 

 two days afterward, he died. mpiurea, ana, 



