THE HEAVY-HARNESS BREEDS OF HORSES 61 
and bold knee action, with regular, uplifting, hock action. 
They have intelligent heads, graceful necks, snugly ribbed 
bodies and muscular quarters. If any part of the con- 
formation might be chosen as fit for general criticism, it 
would be the legs, although these, in most instances, are 
well set and have every evidence of quality. There is an 
airiness and graceful- 
ness about a well set- 
up French Coacher 
that is hard to find in 
any other coach breed. 
It is due chiefly to 
their unusual length 
and gracefulness of 
neck, in conjunction 
with a spirit of alert- 
ness in movement or 
statuesqueness in 
standing which, be- 
sides being due to bodily conformation, is also traceable 
to the excellent training they receive to show their qual- 
ities to the best advantage. The common colors are bay, 
brown or black. Considering the mixed breeding fol- 
lowed in evolving the French Coach, it is exceptionally 
uniform in type, a result due likely to the uniformity in 
the standards of the men who as directors have control 
of the government breeding operations. The greatest 
success in producing the most handsome and _ stylish 
carriage or coach horses has been attained by using 
mares approaching as nearly as possible the type desired, 
with as much quality and action as possible. 
60. The trotting type. — The production of the trotting 
type for many purposes has been encouraged since 1836, 
Fic. 10.— French Coach mare. 
