12 
Half-bred  Horses  for  Field  or  Road: 
“ Smolensko,”  “ Emancipation,”  “ Crucifix,”  “ Alice  Haw- 
thorn,” “ Beeswing,”  “ Bessy,”  “ Bedlam,”  “ Dr.  Syntax  ” — con- 
trast these  with  such  heavy  shoulders  and  action  as  “ Stock- 
well,”  “ Rataplan,”  “ General  Peel,”  &c.,  or  such  legs  as  “ Blair 
Athol  ” and  “ Gladiateur,”  as  well  as  most  of  the  “ improved  ” 
breed  of  16  to  17-hand  horses. 
“ Kingcraft  ” is,  or  was,  the  most  like  the  horses  of  forty  or 
fifty  years  ago  ; I would  rather  give  25  guineas  to  him,  than 
use  many  of  the  fashionable  stallions  for  nothing:  it  is  not 
height,  but  shape  and  action  that  carries  weight  safely. 
Where  are  the  nags  ? the  old  short-legged  horses,  the  road- 
sters, all,  almost  all,  gone ! Railways  and  wheels,  and  lazy 
people  too  idle  to  ride!  Roadsters  have  become  very  scarce; 
try  and  buy  a nice  hack,  and  you  will  see.  The  Norfolks,  our 
East  Riding  hacks,  the  Clevelands,  our  East  Yorkshire  coaching 
mares,  all,  nearly  all,  gone  abroad.  “ Old  Champion  ” and 
“Phenomenon”*  were  brought  from  Norfolk  by  old  Robert, 
or  rather  “ Bob,”  Ramsden,  of  Market  VVeighton,  perhaps 
about  the  year  1830.  The  Suffolk  Punch  has  deteriorated; 
no  sinews  under  knee ; larger,  but  not  so  compact  and  useful. 
The  old  useful  short-legged  Punch  we  have  lost  could  ride, 
drive,  plough,  cart,  or  breed  a hunter.  Mares  by  a trotting 
stallion,  put  to  a short-legged,  wide,  thoroughbred  horse,  pro- 
duced valuable  hack-hunters,  and  single-harness  horses.  The 
old  roadsters  had  beautiful  heads.  Lord  Charlemont,  in  his 
evidence  before  the  Lords’  Committee  on  Horses,  says  : “ I have 
seen  some  of  the  very  best  hunters  in  Ireland  got  by  a Norfolk 
horse  out  of  a thoroughbred  mare,  a 15  hands  3 inches  horse, 
that  looked  like  a carthorse,  only  no  hair  on  his  legs  ; action 
very  superior,  and  temper  perfect.”  At  my  recommendation, 
old  John  Foxton  entered  “ Bay  President  ” when  twenty-three 
years  old,  for  the  Nag  prize  at  the  Yorkshire  Show  at  Malton, 
which  prize  the  old  horse  won,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  many 
owners  of  heavy-shouldered  so-called  nag  stallions.  “ Presi- 
dent,” as  already  a winner,  could  not  then  compete  as  a hunting 
sire.  I won  the  corresponding  Nag  prize  at  the  Yorkshire 
Show  at  Hull  with  his  son  “ President  Junior.”  I gave  John 
Foxton  this  reason  for  my  advice,  namely,  that  two  of  the  Judges 
out  of  three  at  Malton  were  men  used  to  ride  60  or  70  miles 
a day,  and  they  would  certainly  prefer  a blood  hack  to  a high- 
* The  trotting  “ Phenomenon  ” approaching  you  with  all  his  four  legs  tucked 
up  close  to  his  body  appeared  like  a flying  barrel,  on  which  had  been  stuck 
a head  and  neck.  Science  has  again  stepped  in  to  upset  old  theories  in  philosophy 
and  in  art.  See  ‘Animal  Mechanics,  the  Theory  of  Quadrupedal  Locomotion, 
founded  on  Anatomy  and  the  Revelations  of  the  Camera.’  Twenty-four  were 
used  working  to  the  five-thousandth  of  a second.  Stillmnnn  (J.  D.  P.)  ‘ The 
Horse  in  Motion;  Views  by  Instantaneous  Photography:’  Boston,  U.S. A.,  Out. 
1881.  Royal  4to.  Price  21.  5e. — C. 
