120 ANIMALS USED IN WAR. 



Chapter IV.— HACKNEYS. 



The British Expeditionary Force was specially asked to 

 include in its report an account of the merits or otherwise of 

 animals showing Hackney blood. In no race of English breed 

 is prejudice so strongly shown, and such prejudice is chiefly in 

 relation to his utility as a riding horse. He is essentially a 

 light roadster, a horse of fashion and pleasure for light carriage 

 work, where his high stepping action and prowess at the trot, 

 which form his chief characteristic, can be displayed to the best 

 advantage. As pure blood, war is not his metier, unless it bears 

 relation to an officers' mess cart or other light draught duty, or 

 the credit of the country is required to be upheld at a Horse 

 Show. It was generally reported from the Front in France 

 that animals of Hackney blood had no special merit as military 

 animals, the chief fault being lack of stamina. Comparatively 

 few pure-bred hackneys or animals showing much hackney 

 blood passed through Veterinary Hospitals in the British 

 Expeditionary Force, France, which was an indication that 

 relatively few animals of this class {i.e. pure or predominance 

 of hackney blood) participated in the War. It was further 

 stated that though there were individual instances of horses of 

 predominant hackney blood which proved useful riding horses 

 for ordinary work, they would fail in fast work. 



All the same, as I have several times remarked. Hackney or 

 Norfolk Trotter blood enters to a considerable extent into the 

 composition of the light draught horses of various countries, 

 with marked success ; and I think therefore his chief merit lies- 

 in his suitability for cross-mating in the production of horses 

 adaptable for light draught purposes, whether for general utility 

 or for the Army. A good many of our small cart-horses have a 

 dash of hackney blood, and the activity, stoutness, and hardiness 

 of these have been greatly commended. 



