106 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
weight enough to throw into the collar, and sufficient acti- 
vity to get over the ground. 
Farmers are now beginning to be aware of the superi- 
ority of the moderate sized, strong, active Horse, over the 
bulkier, but slower animal of former days. It is not only 
in harvest, and when a frosty morning must be seized to 
cart manure, that this is perceived, but, in the every-day 
work of the farm, the saving of time, and the saving of 
provender, too, will be very considerable in the course of 
a year. 
It has often been said, that a Horse used much for 
draught is neither pleasant nor safe for the saddle. The 
little farmer does not want a showy, complete Hackney. 
He will be content if he is tolerably well curried; and (if 
he has taken a little care in the choice of his Horse; has 
selected one with sound feet, shoulders not too thick, and 
legs not too much under him; and, if he keeps him in good 
condition, and does not scandalously over-weight him,) 
the five days carting or harrow-work, will not, to any ma- 
terial degree, unfit him for the saddle; especially if the 
rider bear in mind what we have termed the golden rule 
of horsemanship, always a little to feel the mouth of the 
animal he is upon. 
A farmer, and, more particularly, a small farmer, will 
prefer a mare to a gelding, both for riding and driving. 
She will not cost him so much at first; and he will get a 
great deal more work out of her. There can be no doubt 
o 
that, taking bulk for bulk, a mare is stronger, and more 
lasting than a gelding; and in addition to this, the farmer 
has her to breed from. 
The mare needs not be idle while she is breeding. She 
may be worked moderately almost to the period of her 
foaling, and with benefit rather than otherwise: nor is 
there occasion that much of her time should be lost even 
while she is suckling. If she is put to Horse in June, the 
foaling time will be in the fall, and the loss of labour will 
occur, in the most leisure time of the year. 
The farmer, however, too frequently thinks that any 
mare will do to breed from; and, if he can find a great 
prancing stallion, with a high sounding name, and loaded 
with fat, he reckons on having a valuable colt: and should 
he fail, he attributes the fault to the Horse, and not to his 
own want of judgment. 
The foal should be well taken care of for the first two 
years. It is bad policy to stint or half starve the growing 
colt. 
The colt may be earlier handled, but should not be bro- 
ken-in until three years old; and then the very best break- 
ing-in for the Carriage-Horse is to make him earn a little 
of his living. Let him be put to harrow or light plough. 
Going over the rough ground will teach him to lift his feet 
well, and give him that high and showy action, excusable 
in a Carriage-Horse, but excusable in no other. In the 
succeeding winter, he will be perfectly ready for the town 
or country market. 
The Road Horse, or Hackney. 
The Road Horse! more difficult to meet with in perfec- 
tion than the Hunter or the Courser. There are many 
reasons for this. The price of the Hackney, or the Horse 
of all-work, is so low, that he who has a good one will not 
part with him; and it is by mere accident that he can be ob- 
tained. There are also several faults that can be overlooked 
in the Hunter, but which the Road Horse must not have. 
The Hunter may start, maybe awkward in his walk, or even 
his trot; he may have thrushes or corns; but if he can go 
a good slapping pace, and has wind and bottom, we can 
put up with him, or prize him: but the Hackney, if he be 
worth having, must have good fore-legs, and good hinder 
ones too; he must be sound on his feet; even-tempered; 
no starter; quiet in whatever situation he may be placed; 
not hard in hand; and if there be one thing more than any 
other, in which the possesser, and, in his own estimation 
at least, the tolerable judge of the Horse, is in error, it is 
the action of the Road-Horse: ‘Let him lift his legs 
well,’ it is said, 6 and he will never come down.’ 
In proportion, however, as he lifts his legs well, will be 
the force with which he puts them down again; the jar and 
concussion to the rider; and the battering and wear and 
tear of the feet. A horse with too great ‘ knee action’ 
will not always be speedy; he will rarely he pleasant to 
ride, and he will not, in the long run, be safer than others. 
The careless daisy-cutter, however pleasant on the Turf, 
should indeed be avoided, unless the neck of the rider be 
previously insured; yet it is a rule, not often understood, 
and sometimes disputed, but which experience will fully 
confirm, — that the safety of the Horse depends a great deal 
more on the manner in which he puts his feet down, than 
on that in which he lifts them up; — more on the foot being 
placed at once flat on the ground, or perhaps the heel 
coming first in contact with it, than on the highest and 
most splendid action. 
When the toe first touches the ground, it may be easily 
supposed that the Horse will occasionally topple over. An 
unexpected obstacle will throw the centre of gravity for- 
ward, and down he will come. If the toe dig into the 
ground before the foot is firmly placed, a little thing will 
cause a trip and a fall. 
Let the farmer who has a stumbler look at the shoes of 
his Horse. In what part is the wear and tear? — The toe 
