that large bone is not required in his cannon or shank (the part from knee to fetlock), neither is it in the hunter. The real power of all animals is in the muscles, sinews, and tendons; and the leg best calculated to carry weight and endure to a good old age is that in which the bone is small, but of a dense and perfect texture, and in which three convexities can be very plainly distinguished, namely, the bone, the elastic ligament behind the bone, called the sinew, and, behind that, the flexor tendons, large, round, and strong. The rare combination of strength with lightness is here beautifully displayed, and is one of the many instances which might be produced to show how nature delights to work with the least possible expense of materials.

The hunter should have length in his shoulders and quarters, and to a certain extent also in his back. It is true that horses with short backs carry weight best up a steep hill, which, as that is the worst method in which this animal can employ his strength (in man it is the best), shows that heavy men should ride short-backed horses. For hunters, however, that are ridden in our best hunting countries, which, previously to being laid down in grass, were thrown up by the plough into high ridges, with deep furrows, must have moderate length of back, or they cannot go smoothly over such ground. Good loins, with width of haunch (the vis a tergo being so necessary in leaping as well as galloping on soft ground), need scarcely be insisted upon; and we now proceed to the hinder-legs, the proper or improper form of which makes the difference between a good or bad hunter, if a horse with badly formed hinder-legs can be called a hunter at all. But a horse with short, straight, and weak thighs, cannot make a good hunter. Even admitting that they are not weak, but short and straight, yet the objection remains, because he cannot, in the latter case, be pulled together in his gallop, nor have his stride collected to enable him to take his fences properly; and, what is not generally known, he is almost certain to be a hard puller. Indeed, some good judges go so far as to assert that horses with straight hinder legs never have good mouths, and there is much truth in the remark, as their form will not admit of their being "pulled together," as the horseman's term is, in their quick paces, and without it no horse is safe. A long and muscular thigh, then, with a clean well-placed hock, is one of the most material points in a hunter, and also one by which the duration of his services may very nearly be measured; as when much out of the true form, either inclining inwards, like the cow, or outwards, like the bandy-legged man, disease is almost certain to attack this very complicated but beautifully contrived joint, when put to severe exertion, especially in soft ground. The shank bone of the hinder leg, below the hock, ought to be equally well supported by sinews and tendons with that of the fore-leg; and the pastern of the hind-leg should resemble that of the fore-leg, moderately long, strong, and oblique.

But such is the paramount importance of the hock in the hunter, that we transcribe the following admirable description of one most material point in it (from part ix. of *The Horse*, Farmer's series, p. 272):—“The most powerful of the flexor or bending muscles are inserted into the point of the hock or the extremity of the os calcis; and in proportion to the projection of the hock, or, in other words, the length of this bone, will two purposes be effected,—the line of direction will be more advantageous, for it will be nearer to a perpendicular; and the arm of the lever to which the power is applied will be lengthened, and mechanical advantage will be gained to an almost incredible extent. Suppose this bone of the hock to be 3 inches in length, the joint formed by the tibia and the astragalus is evidently the centre of motion, and the weight concentrated about the middle of the shank is the obstacle to be overcome. If the weight be four times as far from the centre of motion as the power, a force equal to four times the weight would raise it. It is, however, here to be remembered, that it is not merely the weight of the leg which is to be raised, but the weight of the horse, for the time resting upon the leg, and that weight to be propelled or driven forward. At what shall we calculate this? We may fairly suppose that the muscles, whose tendons are inserted into the point of the hock, exert an energy equal to 4000 lb. Let us further suppose that an inch is added to the point of the hock, which will be an addition of one-third to its length; a muscular power of less than 3000 lb. will now effect the same purpose. The slightest lengthening, therefore, of the point of the hock will make an exceedingly great difference in the muscular energy by which the joint is moved, and a difference that will wonderfully tell in a long day's work. On this account, the depth of the hock, or the length of the bone of which we are speaking, is a point of the greatest importance. There is, however, a limit to this. In proportion to the length of this bone, must be the space which it passes over, in order sufficiently to bend the limb; and in that proportion must be the contraction of the muscle, and consequently the length of the muscle, that it may be enabled thus to contract; and, therefore, if this bone were inordinately lengthened, there would require a depth of quarter which would amount to deformity. A hock of this advantageous length is, however, rarely or never met with; and it is received among the golden rules in judging of the horse, that this bone of the hock cannot be too long.”

Hunters which carry very heavy men cannot excel in the field, unless they exhibit those just proportions in their limbs and all the moving levers necessary to produce full liberty of action, but not too long a stride. Well placed hinder legs, with wide hips, well spread gaskins, and great depth of chest, are essentials, and as much of the vis a tergo as is consistent with a not unsightly back, commonly called “hog-hacked.” Well knit joints, short cannon bone, moderately oblique pasterns, with rather large feet, are not only points from which great physical powers may be expected, but they are necessary to the duration of them in the horse we are now alluding to. As, however, it is an axiom in the animal creation that the parts which add to strength diminish swiftness, hunters to carry more than 16 st. well with hounds, at the pace they now run, are always difficult to be procured, and ought to command good prices. The stamp of animal most approved of for this purpose is the short-legged, thick, but well-bred horse, not exceeding 16 hands in height, but appearing to the eye half a hand below that standard. As for his general appearance, it is “handsome is that handsome does,” in this case; and we must not look for beauty in all his points.

Having now described each individual external part of the horse essential to his being a good hunter, we shall, in a few words, exhibit him to the reader's view in what we consider his best form. He should have a light head, well put on, with a firm, but not a long neck; lengthy, and consequently oblique shoulders, with very capacious chest, and great depth of girth; a long, muscular fore-arm, coming well out of the shoulder, the elbow parallel with the body, neither inclining inward nor outward; a short cannon or shank, with large tendons and sinews, forming a flat, not round leg; an oblique pastern, rather long than short, and an open circular foot; the back of moderate length, with well-developed loins and fillets, and deep ribs, making what is termed by sportsmen a good “spur-place.” From the loins to the setting on of the tail, the line should be carried on almost straight, or rounded only in a very slight degree. Thus the haunch will be most oblique, and will produce a corresponding obliquity in the thigh-bone, which formation is peculiarly characteristic of the well bred horse. The dock of the tail should be large, the buttocks close together, and the fundament small, and somewhat resembling the front or eye of the pippin apple. The thighs should be muscular and long, rather inclining inwards, with large lean hocks, the points appearing to stand somewhat behind the body, which will bring the lower part of the hind-leg, or shank, under it. The shank, fetlock, and pastern of the hinder-leg, should exactly resemble those of the fore-leg, as also should the foot. The legs should appear short, from the great depth of chest, and well-proportioned substance of the body, or middle-piece.

The stature of the horse is no more absolutely fixed than that of the human body, but a medium height is considered as best for a hunter, say 15 hands, 2 or 3 inches. For one good horse over this height, there are a hundred under it. In fact, there are, in the operations of nature as well as of art, limits which they cannot surpass in magnitude, and no very large animal has strength in proportion to its size. That the horse has not, the pony affords proof, if any other were wanting. Even the heaviest weights find horses about the height we have fixed upon best calculated to carry them. There have been many extraordinary instances of horses, little more than 14 hands high, being equal to the speed of hounds over the strongest counties in England; for example, Mr William Coke's "Pony," as he was called, many years celebrated in Leicestershire, and Mr Green's "Piccolo;" but they are not pleasant to ride, by reason of the fences, when high, appearing higher to the rider than when he is mounted on a taller horse.

Temper and mouth are essential points in a hunter. The former adds much to his value, not only as it contributes to the pleasure and safety of his rider, but a horse of a placid temper saves himself much in a long day's work with hounds, and especially when there is much leaping. Indeed, fretful horses are proverbially soft, and not generally to be depended upon at a pinch, which caused Shakespeare to make them the symbol of false friends. Thus Julius Caesar exclaims,

"Hollow men, like horses, not at hand, Make gallant show, and promise of their mettle; But when they should endure the bloody spur, They fall their crest, and, like deceitful jades, Sink in the trial."

A hunter should have courage, but nothing more, to make him what he is required to be, namely, not afraid to leap at any fence his rider thinks proper to put him at. His mouth will depend upon two things; first, upon the judgment of the person who breaks him in, in his colthood, and, secondly, upon the position of his hinder legs, but chiefly upon the first. It ought to be endowed with so great sensibility, that the slightest motion of the bit should give him warning, and direct his course, which is significantly implied by Horace, when he said, "the ear of a horse lies in his bridle." It is true, that what we call the "mouth" of a horse, is an artificial feature, at all events, a figurative term for his being easily acted upon by the bridle; but it is a point of the utmost importance in a hunter. Without it, in short, he is absolutely dangerous to ride; for although the skill and power of his rider may prevent his running away, yet he is always in danger of being placed in some unpleasant situation or other by him. In the first place, he cannot be a large fencer, nor safe at all sorts of leaps, if he will not suffer his rider to pull him together, to collect him for the effort of rising at them. Secondly, he is as dangerous in going through gates only partly opened. Thirdly, if the horse immediately before him should fall at a leap, he is very apt to leap upon him, or his rider; and, lastly, his strength is sooner exhausted than that of a horse, perhaps not naturally so good, which is going quietly, and within himself, by his side.

No doubt many of the ancient writers were good judges of horses, although they were deficient, compared with the moderns, in availing themselves of their highest capabilities. Were a purchaser of a hunter to look no further than the first chapter of Xenophon περὶ ἵππων, he would find hints that would be well worthy his attention; and nothing can be more expressive of the evils attending a bad mouth, in a horse of this description, than the following sentence from Pliny, "Equi sine frinis deformis ipse cursus, rigida cervice, et extento capite, curruntium," which may be thus translated:—The career of a horse without a bridle is disagreeable, carrying his neck stiff, and his nose in the air. When we consider how often it is necessary to pull up, or to turn a horse very short in crossing inclosed countries, the value, even on the score of comfort, of a good mouth cannot be too highly appreciated by the sportsman.

We now come to the action of the hunter, which, after all, is the main consideration. He should have energy in all his paces, but he may have too much of what is generally called action. Nothing conveys to us a better idea of that which is adapted to his business, than the concluding sentence of a huntsman of former days, when describing to his master a capital run with his hounds. "The old mare," said he, "carried me like oil." The action of the hunter should be smooth, or it will not last. His stride in his gallop should be rather long than otherwise, provided he brings his hinder legs well under his body; and the movement of the fore-legs should be round, but by no means high. Above all things, there should be no "dooling," as it is called, in the limb, coming to the ground; a great obstacle to speed, but often the accompaniment of excessive action in the fore-legs. But the test of action in the hunter, is in what sportsmen call "dirt," that is, in soft, tender ground, or when passing over such as appears dry on the surface, but is not sufficiently so to bear his weight. It is not exactly in the power of the best judges to determine whence this peculiar excellence, which some horses possess over others apparently well-proportioned, arises, for which reason the eye should never be depended upon in the selection of horses for the field. Wisdom here can only be the produce of experience; and many sportsmen have paid dear for it on this particular point. In fact, nothing next to ascending steep hills under great weight, puts the physical powers of a horse to so severe a test as carrying a heavy man, at a quick rate, over a country that sinks under him at every step. Mere strength alone will not do it. It must be the result of a combination of strength with agility, good wind, and speed, to produce which the most perfect arrangement of the acting parts, although the exact symmetry and proportion of them may not be exactly discernible to the eye, are requisite, and, we may be assured, are present. As the beauty of all forms is, in great part, subordinate to their utility, a horse of this description, that is, one which can carry sixteen stone well up to bounds in any or in all countries, at the rate they now run, not only, as has before been observed, commands a very high price, but, to a person who loves to study nature, presents a feast to the eye.

A hunter should be what is called very quick as well as very fast; by which is implied, that he should not only have great speed, but that he should be very quick in regaining his speed after taking his leap, or being pulled up from any other cause. One so gifted will cross a country, especially a close one, in less time than one that is more speedy, but not so "quick on his legs," as jockeys term it. It is also very agreeable that a hunter should be safe in his slow paces on the road; and, if a fast trotter, he relieves himself by changing the action of the muscles, when the pace of hounds so far abates as to allow him to break into a trot.

Leaping.

One of the greatest accomplishments in a hunter is being a perfect and safe leaper. The situation of a sportsman Hunter, riding a horse that is "uncertain," as the term is, at his fences, may be compared with that of the philosopher whom Cicero describes in his Tusculan Questions (5, c. 21) as seated on the throne of Dionysius, gazing upon the wealth and splendour that surrounded him, with a naked sword suspended over his head by a single thread. But a horse following hounds often leaps under very great disadvantages, which accounts for the numerous falls sportsmen get. Putting aside the labour of rising from the ground, which, to the horse, with a weight on his back, must be great, from the earth's attraction and the body's gravity, he has often to take his spring without any fixed point for support; whereas, in most other cases, leaping takes place on a fixed surface, which possesses the power of resistance in consequence of its firmness. Nevertheless, although the surface yield to a certain degree, leaping can still be performed, notwithstanding the retrograde motion of the surface produces a great diminution in the velocity of the leap, compared with that which is made from firm ground; and the velocity is always greater in proportion as the resistance is perfect. Thus it is, that we find horses able to cover much greater obstacles in Leicestershire, and the other grass countries, where the taking off for the leap is generally good and sound, than they can cover in ploughed and marshy districts, where they have not that advantage, from the less firm state of the soil. We shall now endeavour to point out the form most likely to constitute a good leaper.

The very worm that crawls on the ground first carries its contraction from the hinder parts, in order to throw its fore parts forward; and it is chiefly from the vis a tergo, or strength of back, and hinder quarters, that the power of leaping in a horse is derived. It must, however, be admitted that oblique shoulders give him a great advantage, by enabling him to extend his fore quarters; but if his loins be loose and weak, and his hinder legs ill placed, with weak hocks, he cannot make, in any one's hands, a safe and perfect leaper. But the position of his head has something to do with it. A plank placed in equilibrium cannot rise at one end unless it sinks at the other; and although a horse in light harness cannot, for appearance sake, carry his head too high, provided he be obedient to the rein, the hunter should carry his low. A colt, running wild, never raises his head when he leaps, but rather lowers it; and so should the hunter; and he is always less liable to fall in galloping over a country when he carries his head low; likewise, in horses with lengthy shoulders, the seat of the rider is rather benefited than injured by it.

The sort of fence that stops hunters more than any other description of obstacle, is a wide brook; and, like all other wide places, it takes a good deal out of him, if he clears it. Lengthy horses are the best brook jumpers; but they require good loins and hinder quarters as well, and, above all things, courage. Unless a horse takes a wide brook in his stroke, he is almost sure to be in it; for which reason he is generally ridden fast at it, and, for the most part, not allowed to see it till he comes close to it. Immense space has been covered by horses when jumping brooks, particularly when there has been a difference of elevation of the banks in favour of the horse. We have heard of thirty feet and upwards from hind foot to hind foot; but half that space in water is considered a good brook, and even if the banks are sound, stops a great part of the field. When unsound, it requires a horse coming under the denomination of a "good brook-jumper" to clear it without a fall, and particularly if towards the end of a run.

To be a good timber leaper is a great desideratum in a hunter, although many horses are great timber leapers, but, from their form, can never make good hunters. It only requires a short backed, truss-horse for this purpose; and he can dispense with the general length so necessary to the complete hunter. Good and well-formed thighs, however, are necessary. For those hunting countries, such as Cheshire, where the hedge is generally placed on a bank or "cop," as it is there styled, rather a short but very active horse performs best. But he must be very good in his hinder legs, and very quick in the use of them. Wall jumpers come within the same class with timber jumpers as to make and shape.

There is one faculty in which the horse is wanting, that would, if he possessed it, give him a great advantage in leaping. In the human species, the power and influence of feeling are inherent, in a great degree, to the very tips of the fingers; but the horse has no proper organ of feeling or touch. When a man takes his spring for a leap, or leaps on the top of any substance, he has a distinct and certain sense or knowledge of the nature of the ground from which he has sprung, and of the substance on which he has alighted; but, from the insensible nature of the horse's hoof, such feeling is, in a great measure, denied to him, and indispensably so too. Still, however, there are a few instances upon record of horses going very well over a country even after having undergone the operation of neurotomy, by which all sensibility, from the fetlock downwards has been destroyed.

The necessity for the thorough-bred horse in the field is belied, by the experience of all unprejudiced sportsmen, and in Leicestershire, where the best studs are to be found, very many of the hunters have a bend sinister in their escutcheon. But this perhaps arises from three causes. First, there is a difficulty in procuring full-bred horses to carry even moderate weights, and speed is but a second attribute to a hunter. He must have sundry other qualifications, and the most prevailing objections to the thorough-bred horse are generally these: He is apt to be deficient in substance to carry high weights over rough and deep countries, without trespassing too much on the virtue of his high descent. Secondly, he is inclined, and especially if he have been trained, to be shy of facing rough and thorny fences, by reason of the delicate nature of his skin, rendered so by repeated sweats in clothes, when in training. It often happens, indeed, that even the cheering influence of hounds, which has so much effect on other horses, will not induce him to take them. In fact, which may appear extraordinary, he does not appear to have in the field the courage of the half-bred horse. Lastly, his feet are apt to be small, in which case he sinks deeper in soft ground than does the lower-bred horse, whose feet are larger and wider, and thus suffers more than the latter does, in crossing a deep country. As for his powers of endurance under equal sufferings, they doubtless would exceed those of the cocktail, and being, by his nature what is termed a "better deer" in the stable, he is sooner at his work again than the other. Indeed, there is scarcely a limit to the work of full-bred hunters of good frame and constitution and temper.

A sportsman, partial to thorough-bred hunters, should either breed them, or purchase them, not exceeding two years old. If he breeds them, he should select large and bony mares, putting them to horses who have hunting action, such as Tramp had; and, if he buy them, it will be his fault if he do not buy those of the right stamp. From their never having been trained, but ridden over rough ground in their childhood, they would have freer and higher action, and, when castrated at a proper age, would very rarely fail making first-rate hunters. The reason for subjecting them to the enervating operation of castration is, that by far the greater number of entire horses, used as hunters, are either dangerous in a crowd, and when pressed upon in gateways; or given to refuse their fences, when they feel themselves somewhat distressed; and, if once well tired, are not to be depended upon afterwards. The late Earl of Lonsdale's Julius Caesar was, nevertheless, a good instance to the contrary; and so was Mr. Arkwright's Dr. Purchase of a Hunter.

Although it may not be necessary that a person should be perfectly acquainted with the mechanical structure of the horse's frame, according to the laws of nature, to render him a good judge of a hunter, yet, fortunately for such as have them to sell, vast numbers of persons purchase hunters from very slight experience of them, regardless of the proverb of "he hath a good judgment who doth not rely on his own." There is also another proverb, prevalent, we believe, in Spain, which well applies here: "He that would buy a mule without a fault must not buy one at all;" and, although faultless hunters may be as rare as faultless riders of them, we will offer a few hints to a person in the act of purchasing one, addressing him in the colloquial style.

First, bear in mind the country you are about to hunt in, whether flat, hilly, firm, soft, open, or inclosed, and refer to the remarks we have made on the sort of horse we have adapted to each; only be assured that in an open country, especially if a hilly one, nothing has a chance with a thorough-bred horse, in good form, and not over-weighted. Secondly, consider well your weight, and be sure to have at least a stone to spare. A light man on a light horse throws away all the advantage of being light, and can go no faster, or leap larger fences, than a heavy man on a strong horse, for strength will be served. Until you try him, it is hard to say what horse will make a hunter, but the following indices may induce you to try him:—If he appear well-bred, with a loose, bright skin, which may be called his complexion; observe that his hair does not stand hollow from the skin, particularly about the poll of his neck. If you find him standing over a good deal of ground, it is a sure sign that he has got length where it ought to be; not in the back, but from the obliquity of his shoulders, and the arm being set on at the extreme point of his shoulder, which so much contributes to the act of extension of the fore parts in galloping, leaping, and clearing grips. Next examine minutely his thighs and hocks, being especially careful to observe the position of the point of the hock bone. Above all things, avoid a shag, or an overtopped horse. The former will never carry you to your satisfaction, however good he may be in his nature; and the latter, from being too heavy for his legs, will seldom last many years. As for the minor points, common observation alone is wanting. Have his head placed in such a situation as will enable you to satisfy yourself that he has perfectly organized eyes, free from incipient cataract, sometimes rather difficult to be detected; and as for his age, there are but two ways of satisfying yourself on that point. By his teeth till about eight years old; afterwards by the state of his legs, which are, in fact, the best test of his value, the best proof of what he has done, and the sure source of speculation as to what he may hereafter be expected to do. Observe, also, his joints, that no material injury has been done to them by blow, &c., and that they are strong.

But the purchaser of a hunter must not trust to his eye. Neither must he be satisfied with him, how well soever he may gallop with him upon sound land. It is the peculiar excellence of "going well through dirt" that renders a horse valuable for all our best hunting countries; and no man can assure himself that a horse has this peculiar excellence, until he puts him to the test. The best method of doing it is this: The rider should put him along at a good pace, with a slack rein, upon sound ground, letting him find himself all at once upon that which is soft and holding. If, on quitting the former, he cringes more than might be expected under the weight, and shortens his stroke much, he must not purchase him for a hunter. He may go well over a light, down country, but he will never distinguish Hackney, himself over a heavy one, as he will be going in distress, when other horses are going comparatively at their ease. Horses possess gradations of excellence in this natural qualification, or gift, more than in any other, but in it consists the summum bonum in a hunter; inasmuch as, whatever may be his other good qualities, they are all useless, when the acting parts are, from this cause, deep ground, easily over-fatigued. With regard to his wind, he must not judge hastily of that, in a horse not in work. Should he not perceive anything like whistling in his respiration when he puts him along at a quick pace, and his chest is capacious and deep, and his head well set on, he is not to reject him in case he appears blown by a short gallop. Condition and work will rectify that; but many a good hunter has been rejected on this account, by persons not taking into consideration the state of his bodily condition, in a trial of this nature.

The price of the hunter varies with the times, and, no doubt, is as much regulated by the price of wheat as the quarterm loaf is. During the war prices, the sum of 1000 guineas was occasionally given, and that of 500 guineas frequently. From 150 guineas to 300 guineas now commands a first-rate hunter. But first-rate horses, in all ages of the world, have ever produced extravagant prices; and it is recorded of Alexander the Great, that he gave four Roman talents for the celebrated Bucephalus, by mounting which the young prince gave the first token of the skill and daring which carried him through so many difficulties.

THE HACKNEY.

Under this term are comprised the following:—The Cover Hack, the Pack Hack, the Lady's Horse, the Roadster, the Cob, the Galloway, and the Pony.

The difficulty of procuring really good hacks is admitted by all persons who have kept them for the various purposes of either business or pleasure, and for the following obvious reasons. First, very few people try to breed hackneys, therefore, although we require them to be nearly perfect in shape and action (and perfect they should be to be "really good hacks"), they may be said to be failures in the breeding stud after all. Secondly, by reason of their appearing to be failures in their colthood, they are not forced into good shape, as more promising young horses are, by high keep and care. Lastly, if a man has a really good hack, he is unwilling to dispose of it at the price generally given for such animals. But a question arises, What is a good hack? It cannot be answered but with reference to another question, namely, What description of person is he to carry? The horse that a sober citizen of London or Edinburgh would call a perfect hackney to carry him to his country seat, would not be worth five shillings to a Newmarket or a country jockey, or as a cover hack to a Leicestershire or Warwickshire sportsman. We will commence, then, with the cover hack, and describe the others in their turns.

The cover hack of the present day is very difficult to be procured, because he must unite, with the good qualities of the roadster, the requisites and accomplishments of the hunter. In fact, he must be a hunter in miniature; and after all, the form of the hunter is the best calculated for a roadster. He must be fast in all his paces, able to gallop well on deep or soft ground, and equal to carrying his rider over moderately sized fences; and if taught to leap timber, standing, his value is proportionally increased. But, above all things, he must go from 12 to 15 miles in the hour, when wanted, without showing any symptoms of distress; and he is too often unnecessarily called upon to perform much more than this, by his owner delaying the period of his leaving home in the morning, for the purpose of meeting hounds. It may also be observed, that it is not every sportsman who keeps two cover hacks, although he may keep six or eight hunters; and it often happens that the cover hack does more work than any horse in the stable, although in justice it should be stated, that the same care in the stable is now taken of him as of the best hunter in it.

Unless to carry a great weight, the cover hack should be all but thorough-bred, if he cannot be procured of quite full blood; with excellent legs and feet, lengthy and elevated shoulders, and with a susceptibility of mouth that will not only enable his rider to keep him well on his haunches, to guard against danger when going fast on all sorts of roads, but as tending to lessen the fatigue of riding him; and the

strength of his rider should be reserved for his day's diversion after hounds. The chief pace of a cover hack should be the canter, and his temper should not be overlooked, for if fractious, and a puller, he will add much to the fatigue of a severe day's sport. A horse of this description, nearly 15 hands high, young and sound, will command from L60 to L100. The other points essential to a good road hackney, which will be noticed hereafter, apply equally to the cover hack.

The park hack of the present day is the race-horse in miniature. To be quite à la mode, he should be thoroughbred, with a very neat head, beautifully set on, and a switch tail; and so well bitted as to be ridden with a slack rein. He should have much liberty in his walk, which, and the canter, should be his chief paces. He must have great obliquity of shoulder, with a corresponding true formation of hinder quarters, and above all, the well-bent hinder legs; in which case, if the position of his fore legs enable him to put his feet down properly, which will be explained in describing the general action of the hackney, he will be, if good tempered, and not given to fret, the perfect park hack.

The lady's horse is, after all, the most difficult to obtain, because he ought to approach very near to perfection. His paces, mouth, and temper, should each be proportioned to the power and capability of his rider; and he should be proof against alarm from either noises or sights, which otherwise might cause him to run away. This description of horse should likewise be well bred, as in that case his action will be easier, and his appearance and carriage more in character with the generally elegant appearance of his rider. His pace should be the canter; the trot causes an ungraceful movement in the person of a woman, to enable her to rise to it; and if she do not rise to it, she is much shaken in her seat. Neither is the form of the side-saddle fitted for the trot; and the canter of a well-bitted horse is more safe, because his haunches are more under him in that pace than they can be in the trot. A good, bold, walk, however, with the head in proper place, is essential to a horse that has to carry a woman; and his action should be very true, that is, he should not "dish," or throw, his legs outward, as the term is, in any of his paces; or he will cover the lower garments of his rider with mud when the roads are wet and dirty. To provide against the latter inconvenience, however, all horses intended for this purpose, should not be much under 15½ hands in height, which size corresponds with the lengthened drapery of a lady's riding costume. As a preventive against accidents, ladies' horses, however well broken and bitted, should not be too highly fed; and, if at all above themselves, should be ridden by a careful servant, with good use of his hands, before ladies mount them. It is, however, an acknowledged fact, that horses go more quietly under women than they do under men, which is accounted for by the lightness of their hand, and the backward position of the body in the saddle. We have, in fact, known several instances of horses being very hard pullers with men, standing up in their stirrups, and, consequently, inclining their bodies forward, but going perfectly temperate and at their ease under women.

The power and parts conducive to action in the roaster, or hackney, are derived much from the same shape and make as we have shown to be best fitted for the hunter; but it is desirable that he should be more up in his forehand than the hunter is required to be, as such form gives confidence to the rider. The most dangerous form he can exhibit, if we may be allowed such a term, is, with his fore legs standing too much behind the points of his shoulders, and those points loaded. Even with the best-formed hinder legs, the centre of gravity being thrown so far forward beyond the pillars of support, is, in this case, with great difficulty preserved on the horse making a stumble; but with straight hinder legs, a horse so formed in his fore quarters is only fit for harness, where he can recover himself by the assistance of his collar, having no weight on his back. Provided a hackney do not cut his legs, by striking one against the other, which is oftener caused by imperfection in the upper than the lower extremity of the legs, he is not to be rejected because he may turn out his toes a little, some of the very best, fastest, and safest road-horses being so formed. Cutting the hinder legs is a worse failing than cutting the fore ones, as it is a certain sign of weakness; and although we may be told that shoeing will prevent it, we bring to our recollection the old adage, that "a goose always goes like a goose." What is called the "speedy cut" with the fore legs, arises from excess of action, and is a great objection, by reason of the wound given to the leg, which is struck just under the knee. Many good hunters, especially when ridden in hilly countries, such as parts of Surrey, where they traverse the hills on loose and stony ground, are subject to this failing, which is remedied by a boot; and, after all, the danger attributed to speedy cut, in throwing horses down, is much overrated.

The size for a road hackney must be regulated by the size of the person to ride him; but, generally speaking, from 14 to 14½ hands, is the proper height. His strength must also be thus calculated, for a light man does not ride pleasantly on a horse equal to double his weight. But a road hackney should have strength of shoulder, with a round barrel, but not a large carcass, which only wears out his legs. His constitution and feeding can only be proved upon trial; but there are certain indices, such as deep ribs, hardy colour, brown muzzle, &c., which very rarely deceive us. As to the necessity of well-placed hinder legs, it is most clearly shown by the answer given to the following question:—If a horse make a serious blunder forward, and the centre of gravity of his body fall beyond the pillars of support, and is for a moment lost, what restores the equilibrium? Is it merely the chuck under the chin to an animal of his bulk and weight, and that "chuck" given perhaps by the weak, powerless wrist of a feeble old man, or delicate young lady? No: the main effect of the bit, or curb, in this case is, first, warning the horse of his danger; and, next, by the momentary raising of his head, he is better able to bring a hinder leg instantly to his assistance, by advancing it under his body, and thus restoring the equilibrium. In the walk, in fact, the horse actually begins to move by advancing the hinder leg under the body, before the fore leg quits the ground; and if he did not do so, there would be no equal support for the body, during the suspension of the fore leg in the air; nor could the body be moved forwards, until the hinder leg had, by quitting its station, taken a new point of support. Seeing then, that in the walk, as in all other paces, the centre of gravity in the horse is maintained, as well as the body propelled, by the action of the hinder legs, the greatest attention should be paid to the position and action of them in the hackney, as the best safeguard against his falling. We should observe, then, when he is exhibited to our view, that, in his walk, the hinder foot oversteps the fore foot, at least a shoe's length, which a horse with straight ill-formed hinder legs cannot do; and if such action be accompanied by generally good hind quarters, it is a great indication of safety, as far as one-half of the body of the horse is concerned. But as the false step is made, not with the hinder, but the fore leg, the chief safeguard against falling is to be found elsewhere, namely, first, in the length of the shoulder, which throws the centre of gravity further back than a short one; and, secondly, proceeding also from the free use of the shoulder, in the act of setting the fore foot down on the ground. It is a general but very mistaken notion, that the safety of a roadster depends upon his lifting his fore feet high from the ground, when he is said to "go well above his ground;" whereas it all depends on the manner in which he places them down upon it. Not only are the highest goers often the most unsafe to ride, for, when they do fall, they fall with a violence proportioned to the height of their action; but, although we do not advocate such extremes, there are thousands of instances of horses going very near to the ground, and never making a trip. It is, however, a well-established fact, that if the form of a horse's shoulder, and the position of the fore leg, enable him to put his foot to the ground flat, with the heel well down, his lifting up his foot high is not at all necessary; whereas, on the other hand, if, by an improper position of the leg, issuing out of a short, upright, ill-formed shoulder, the toe touches the ground first, and, as it were, digs into it; no matter how high such a horse may lift up his leg, in any of his paces, he will always be dangerous to ride. And this will be clearly shown, if we consider the position of the fore leg, when off the ground, or in action. It is bent in the form of a C, and the foot suspended in the air, turning inwards, with a curve towards the body. When in this state, were the foot to come in contact with a stone, or any other substance, it would pass over it without resistance, the limb being at that time in a flaccid state; but when it approaches the ground, the limb being extended, and having the whole weight of the fore quarters about to be thrown upon it, if it strike against a stone, or any hard substance, then the case is greatly altered, and a stumble is the inevitable consequence. The base now requires to be firm and even, which it can only be by the foot being placed flat upon the ground. Man, in fact, walks very near the ground, but his toe rarely strikes it. If it did so frequently, he would soon become a cripple, putting falling out of the question. His action proceeds from his hips; that of the horse, as regards the fore legs, from his shoulders; but the principle is the same with each; each is a piece of curiously-wrought mechanism, and according to the correctness of that mechanism is their action true. A wrong notion, however, prevails here, which may lead the purchaser of a hackney astray. It has been asserted by various writers, that if the shoe of a roadster be found worn at the toe, it is a sure sign of his possessing the dangerous action to which we have alluded. This is false; many horses wear at the toe, solely by the act of picking up the foot, and quite independently of placing it down. That many hackneys, however, fall from their shoes being neglected and suffered to wear too much at the toes, we are well aware, as well as from their pressing upon the heels and quarters, from the want of being removed in proper time. When a horse is given to wear at the toe, the wearing part should be steeled.

The best method of ascertaining the manner of putting down the foot, on which we have shown the safety of a hackney depends, is, to ride a horse with a slack rein, on a footpath, on which there are trifling undulations, scarcely perceptible, but sufficient for our purpose. If he walk smoothly over such ground, and do not strike it with his toe, we may be sure he puts his foot properly down, and will not, from that cause, be a tumble-down. But there are various ways in which horses fall on the road; bad shoeing, as we have already said, being one of them, and bad condition another. What is called a false step, very different from a stumble, may occur to any horse, and is occasioned by his accidentally putting his foot on a loose stone, that rolls away from under it, when, of course, his footing is lost. In this case, his chance of recovering himself is in his shoulders being oblique and lengthy (for upright shoulders are always short) Hackney, and well placed hinder legs. Thrushes and corns are likewise the cause of stumbling; as likewise is starting, one of the worst failings a hackney can have. In some horses it is a nervous affection, rather difficult to account for in animals of such strength of frame; and often arises from imperfectly formed eyes, such as flatness of the cornea, or outward surface of the eye, generally a small one, causing short-sightedness. In the latter case, this fault in a hackney may be guarded against, by employing a veterinary surgeon to inspect him previous to purchase.

The old adage of "no loot, no horse," applies particularly to the road-horse. The hunter can cross a country upon feet that are very far from good; and by the help of bar-shoes, the coach-horse, with no weight on his back, and with the support the harness gives him, gets pretty comfortably over his stage on unsound feet; but the road-horse must have sound feet. Previously to the use of horse-shoes, the value of a solid hoof was so great as to have been made the image by which the Prophet Isaiah set forth the strength and excellence of the Babylonish cavalry, "whose hoofs," says he, "shall be counted as flints." Both Homer and Virgil mention it as an indispensable requisite in a good horse, the latter making it to resound as it strikes the ground—

"et solido gravior sonat ungula cornu."

We are not going here to enter on a long discussion upon the foot, but only to observe, that the wide hoof and expanded heel of the hunter is not so essential to the road-horse as many persons suppose. Indeed the hoof that has been found to stand severe road-work best, is one rather high at the heel, and not very wide, provided the pastern above do not approach too near the perpendicular; forming what is called "an upright pastern," which, by the jar the foot receives from it, when it comes to the ground, is nearly certain to produce disease. The strong foot, however, of which we are speaking, is one that requires care, by being frequently drawn out with the knife, to prevent its becoming too strong; and by giving moderate pressure to the frogs, to prevent the heels getting nearer together than we find them, and they already approximate to contraction in a foot of this description. The just form of the hoof in front, upon which mainly depends its form behind, is said by Clarke to be at an elevation from the ground of $35^\circ$; and we are inclined to think, that a much greater elevation than this would approach too near the perpendicular, for any kind of foot. As the inner heel or quarter has more weight thrown upon it than the outer, it is the principal seat of corns and sandcracks, for which reason great care should be taken that an even bearing to the whole of the crust be given by the smith to the foot of the hackney, previously to his setting on the shoe, the inner heel being given to wear away more than the outer on that account.

In the action of the hackney consists his chief merit. It should be smooth, and with not too long a step, or stride, or he will tire. He should also go straight on his legs, as the term is; for although horses that dish their legs may be, and commonly are, safe goers, yet they are disagreeable to ride in wet roads, as they cover the rider with mud. As we have already observed, the action of a hackney should not be high, as that tends to fatigue the rider and destroy himself; and if he puts his foot well down on the ground, he will never fall by reason of his action being low, and he will last the longer for its being low.

The paces of the hackney are in a great measure dependent on the will of his owner. The walk and the canter are most essential to what may be called the pleasure hackney; but for general purposes, the trot is the most useful and available pace in a roadster, and one in which he will continue longer, according to the rate he is going at, than in the canter. There are instances, however—and here is perfection in a hackney—of horses with very oblique shoulders, and excellent hinder legs, being able to carry their riders in a canter, over every variation of road, downhill as well as uphill, without offering to break into a trot, for a great distance of ground; and although not appearing to go more than at the rate of nine miles in the hour, are really going twelve. This is the result of the perfection of the points to which we have alluded, and can never be looked for in horses of a contrary make, whose shoulders are short and stiff, and their hinder legs straight. Above all things, what is called "fighting action" in a hackney should be avoided; neither ought the fore leg to be thrown out with a dart, as it is always attended with a dwelling or temporary suspension of the foot previously to its reaching the ground.

Most horses have some peculiarities about them, if not absolute "tricks," as vicious practices in horses are designated. Starting has already been noticed; but plunging is still more dangerous, as in that case a horse seldom stops until he has unseated his rider, at least made many attempts to do so, or thrown himself upon the ground. This latter trick often proceeds, not from sheer vice, but from a sense of pain in the horse, from being too tightly girthed; or from the to him very unpleasant sensation of a cold saddle, with a weight upon it, being pressed to his back; and having once taken a dislike to it, he is very apt to continue it. Against each of these evils it is in our power to provide. Against the first, by not girthling the horse tightly, for the doing of which there is no good reason; and against the second, by having the saddle put on an hour before the horse is wanted, in which time it will become warm, and not disagreeable to the skin of his back, which, in some horses, we know to be extremely susceptible. It is upon this principle that the collars are left day and night upon such road coach-horses as are given to "jib" at starting, the consequence of tender shoulders. But there is one failing to which hackneys are subject, not proceeding from vice, but still attended with danger, as it is often the cause of their falling; and we will endeavour to exhibit this failing. We need scarcely insist upon a good mouth, with neck and head in good place, in the best description of roadhorse; nevertheless, if he will not suffer his rider to avail himself of those advantages, they are useless to him. Such, however, is the case when a hackney, as he is going along in his fast paces, throws his head backwards, which he has always the power to do, his rider being unable to prevent him. Twofold danger attends this fault. First, when in the act of doing it he sees not where he places his feet; secondly, his rider loses his mouth for the moment, and in that moment he may fall. Independently of this, it gives the rider the idea that the horse is becoming fatigued, and doubtless it is an indication to that effect. Our idea, then, of a perfect hackney to carry a gentleman is this: A well-bred, short-legged, lengthy horse, with very good legs and feet, not under fourteen nor above fifteen hands high, that will walk four miles in the hour, trot eleven or twelve, and, if wanted, will go fifteen in that time in a canter or hand-gallop, without once throwing up his head, or requiring to be pulled up. We are, of course, supposing him to be in good condition, and in strong work, or it would not be fair to exact so much from him. But it is only in cases of necessity that any horse should be made to perform the latter task; for we are averse to trespassing unnecessarily upon the powers and capabilities of so noble an animal. On the contrary, we recommend every indulgence that can be granted to him on a journey, and especially in hot weather. At all times, indeed, it is our interest to do so; but, in very hot weather, a few sips of soft water, often given, keep off

1 White says forty-five. Hackney, fever, and replenish the loss he sustains by exhaustion from excessive perspiration.

One word more respecting action. We are no advocates for very fast trotting. It forces the animal to the very extent of his powers, which, of course, wears him out; it induces his owner either to be constantly displaying these powers in private, or matching him against time in public. Add to this, fast trotting is not a gentlemanlike pace; that is, it has not a gentlemanlike appearance, neither is it agreeable to the rider. This is apparent at first sight, when we follow two horsemen on a road, one on a fast trotter, and the other on a good canterer; although going at the same rate, the cantering horse and his rider are both much more at their ease. With the ancient Romans, indeed, a trotting horse was called a tormentor. Nevertheless, we admit that fast trotting is a proof of action, in excess, but of a peculiar nature, and is, perhaps more than any other, transmitted from sire to son, as the produce of the various Norfolk and American trotters have shown. The amble is a pace very little known in England, although very general on the Continent, where the act of rising in the stirrups by the horseman, in the trot, is not practised. We wonder, however, that horses are not often broken to this pace than they are, for the use of women, or of men unequal to fatigue. Although the amble is not allowed to be a pace in the manège—the walk, trot, and gallop being all—it is said to be the first pace of the horse when a foal, but when he has strength to trot, he quits it. Another peculiarity attends it. A horse, we know, can be put from a trot to a gallop without stopping, but he cannot be forced from an amble to a gallop without a halt.

The Pack-Horse.—This description of horse is not now in use. His capabilities were prodigious in carrying weight, but were abused by being trespassed upon. When crossed with the heavy cart-horse, a most useful breed for draught was produced, as also what was called the farmer's hackney, that is, a sturdy animal between the cart-horse and the hackney, useful for all purposes of agriculture, as well as for carrying his owner, and always ready to give help upon a pinch, either in the plough, the harrow, or the harvest-cart.

The Cob.—The word cob is one of new mintage in the sporting world, signifying a powerful, short-legged horse, about fourteen hands high, without any pretensions to blood, but able to carry a great weight, at a certain pace, on the road. He is generally the produce of a light, active cart-mare, and either a thorough-bred or half-bred stallion; and, failing to grow in height, often increases in lateral growth to substance equal to that of the old pack, or miller's horse, of former days. When girted with action, combined with good shape and appearance, this description of horse is much sought after in London, as also in the country, and often sells for a hundred pounds, to carry heavy elderly gentlemen. The attempt to breed him, however, is a hazardous one, as in case of fault in his action for the saddle, he is not suitable to the coach-horse market, the present rate of travelling requiring more lofty as well as higher bred cattle.

The term Galloway now applies to any horse not exceeding 14 hands in height, although it originated with a breed peculiar to the county of Scotland known by that name. In the early days of English racing, there were several capital thorough-bred Galloways in training, at the head of which was the Bald Galloway, sire of Cartouch, and also of the Carlisle Gelding, who, as the Stud-Book informs us, "was remarkable for having supported the fatigue of running as a trial horse in private, and with success in public, till the age of eighteen, at which period, after winning a heat near Stilton, in Huntingdonshire (1731), he broke his leg, and died." The celebrated Mixbury Galloway, of the middle of last century, was only 13 hands 2 inches in height.

Previously to the improved system of coaching, and the cheapness and expedition of that mode of travelling, the well-bred galloway was the favourite hackney of jockeys, graziers, horse-dealers, and cattle jobbers, and in fact of all light weights who had occasion to travel long distances on the road in a short space of time; and no description of horse is better adapted to the purpose. Many years since, there was a little entire horse in Devonshire, called Katterfelto, the sire of many most extraordinary galloways, to whose labours on the road, indeed, there appeared scarcely to be any limit.

The Pony.—A horse is called a pony when under the height of 13 hands, 4 inches to the hand. It is difficult to account for this diminutive breed, unless we believe it to have been imported from countries farther north than Great Britain, which appears probable from the fact of ponies being found in greater abundance in Scotland and Wales than in any other part of the island; the effect, no doubt, of climate. In Ireland they are very rare.

There is no animal that improves in form and character so much as the pony does from the effect of good grooming and high keep. A real Welsh mountain pony, in very good condition, especially if not castrated, is a perfect war-horse in miniature, uniting almost every good property his species possesses. As a proof of one essential quality, we can state upon authority, that the Earl of Oxford had a mare pony, got by the Clive Arabian, her dam by the same horse, out of a Welsh mare pony, which could beat any of his racers 4 miles at a feather weight. Whether Welsh, Scotch, or Hampshire (New Forest), ponies have properties belonging to them, which should attract the notice of the hippopathologist, among the most prominent of which are the following:—They are never lame in the feet, nor become roarers. A broken-winded pony is a very rare sight, and they live to the extreme of old age, if not unfairly treated. They are also very little susceptible of disease, in comparison with other horses; and as for their powers of endurance, they stagger belief. A rare instance of the latter excellence may be produced, from the well-known fact of the pony Sir Teddy, only 12 hands high, accompanying the royal mail from London to Exeter, and arriving in that city fifty-nine minutes before it, distance 172 miles, in twenty-three hours and twenty minutes. It may scarcely be necessary to state that he carried no weight, being led between two horses all the way; nevertheless it was a task that we think no full-grown horse would have performed. A correct likeness of this pony was painted by the elder Marshall of Newmarket. In 1784 a Shetland pony, 11½ hands high, carried a rider, weighing five stones, from Norwich to Yarmouth and back, 44 miles, in three hours and forty-five minutes. As a proof, also, of their powers in crossing a country, the fact may be stated of the late Sir Charles Turner riding a pony 10 miles in forty-seven minutes, and taking thirty leaps in his course, for a wager of 1000 guineas with the late Duke of Queensberry, then Earl March. During the drawing of the Irish lottery, the expresses from Holyhead to London were chiefly conveyed by ponies, at the rate of nearly 20 miles in the hour.

THE CHARGER.

No kind of horse, no animal, indeed, of any sort, makes so prominent a figure in history, sacred or profane, as "the godly horse of the battle," or war-horse. The description of him by Job is admitted to exceed the powers of human eloquence; "and," as M. Rollin says of it, "every word would bear an explication to display its merits." The Guardian (No. 86) has a very ingenious critique upon it; Charger, and Bochart devotes seventeen pages to this and all the other passages in Scripture in which the horse is mentioned. Virgil's representation of him, in his third Georgic, is considered as the nearest approach to that of the sacred writer; and the speech, in the tenth Æneid, of the hero Mezentius to his favourite charger, when on the point of sallying forth to avenge the death of his son, is not exceeded, in the pathetic, by any other passage in the poem. Homer is blamed for his too frequent allusions to the horse; but the history of all wars produces materials for panegyrics on this noble animal. The far-famed Bucephalus is said to have preserved the life of Alexander, by carrying him out of reach of the enemy, although he had received his mortal wound, and dropped down dead immediately on his (Alexander's) alighting from his back. In the battle which was to decide the fate of Persia, on the ground upon which the great Nineveh once stood, the merit of the victory was chiefly ascribed by the Byzantine historians, not to the military conduct, but to the personal valour of their favourite hero, in which his horse bore his share.

"On this memorable day," says the eloquent Gibbon, "Heraclius, on his horse Phallas, surpassed the bravest of his warriors. His lip was pierced with a spear, the steed was wounded in the thigh, but he carried his master safe and victorious through the triple phalanx of the barbarians."

How many British soldiers have owed the preservation of their lives to the courage and docility of their horses.

The movement of turning being the most difficult with the horse, by reason of the inflexible nature of his backbone, the one selected for a charger should have great freedom of action, having his hinder legs well bent under his body, so that he may be easily thrown upon his haunches; also much liberty in his shoulders, and pliancy in the muscles of the neck; in which case he will seldom fail in having the proper requisites for his calling. The position of his hinder legs, however, is most particularly insisted upon, because, should they be straight, that is, not inclining inwards from the hock, after the form of the ostrich's leg, he will with great difficulty be made the supple, short-turning, handy animal that he ought to be, to render him perfectly available to his rider, at the head of his regiment, or in the ranks. Perhaps those horses which were destined to mount our ancient nobility, or courteous knights of old, for feats of chivalry, and gained them the palm in that field of romantic honour, were more highly "dressed," as the term is, in the manège, than an officer's charger of these days should be; nevertheless, as Colonel Peters observes, in his Treatise on Equitation, London, 1835:—“Although it might spoil a good horse for military purposes to form him perfectly after the higher manège principles, yet he would be equally unfit for that duty if he were left in a raw and ignorant state.”

Amongst the ancient Greeks, all horses, as well as all men, were strictly examined before they were admitted into the cavalry; and the precedent cannot be too closely followed. It is well known, that in the various campaigns of the last war, several British officers lost their lives, in consequence of being mounted on chargers not equal to their weight over every description of ground. In one particular instance, a colonel of a light dragoon regiment was cut down in retreating, by reason of his handsome, but powerless charger, being unable to gallop with him over a deeply-ploughed field. At the battle of Waterloo, the ground became excessively wet and soft, owing to continued rain; and, in consequence of it, the Duke of Wellington gave a large price to an officer on his staff for a fine, powerful mare, which had been purchased out of an English fox-hunting stud. In fact, the sort of horse best fitted for an officer's charger, is one which possesses most of the essential qualifications, as well as accomplishments, of a hunter, as his rider, when on service, knows not how soon they may be called for. He should, however, be of airy form, with light action, and well-bred, or he will not look in character with the smart costume of his rider; but to his appearance there must not be sacrificed those essential points, substance and strength, which will enable him to struggle through difficulties, in which a weaker, though more highly-bred, animal might sink. But a trifling deviation in form in the charger, from the points insisted upon in the hunter, may be admitted. For example, the shortness of leg, that is, in the cannon or shank bone, is not exactly desirable in the charger, as his action is required to be of a grander and more showy appearance than we wish to see in the hunter. A moderate length of leg, then, is favourable to such action, and gives lightness, as well as gracefulness, to his movements.

We cannot imagine any brute animal more likely to insure the gratitude of man than the horse which has borne him in safety throughout even a single campaign; and it is not be wondered at its having been made a subject for rebuke to Cato, that he left his charger in Spain, to avoid the expense of bringing him home; or that it should be recorded in praise of Andromache, that she fed the horses of Hector with her own hand. A case parallel with the first, we would not produce if we could; but without having recourse to history beyond the period of our own time, we may set forth a flattering resemblance to the second. The late Duchess of Wellington, during her grace's residence at Stratfield-saye, in Hampshire, seldom omitted for a day feeding, with her own hands, the favourite charger of her gallant husband.

The height of a charger should not exceed fifteen hands and a half, horses of that size being more easily set upon their haunches, and also made to turn more readily than taller ones. His colour must depend upon circumstances; but next to the silver gray, which best displays his trappings, and which, we may presume, was the colour of the celebrated Phallas (the Greeks called a gray horse ἀλος), bay, black, and chestnut, are the best.

THE TROOP-HORSE.

A change for the worse has taken place in this description of horse, in several British light dragoon regiments, the effect of which was apparent in the last European war. It originated in a wish to imitate the style and character of the hussar, without taking into consideration the fact, that that description of cavalry was intended more for out-parties and skirmishing, than for coming in contact with the body of an enemy; and that consequently the slender sort of horse on which the English light dragoon has of late been mounted, has not been found efficient, under the immense weight he carries when in marching order, or even in battle, which averages at least seventeen stone. The heavy dragoon horse is, indeed, very little more powerful now than that of the light dragoon was thirty or forty years back.

The horse best calculated for a light dragoon trooper, is something between the modern coach-horse and the hackney; upon short legs, with good bone, and with much substance in the body. His back should be short, and well ribbed up, his barrel round and large, to allow plenty of room for food, as he is often a long time without it; and hardiness of constitution is a very material point in a soldier's horse. It is true they are purchased when young, many of those for the household troops, at three years old; and their good keep, upon hard food of the best quality, forces them into shape, and makes them what we see them. Most of the troop-horses are picked up at Stourbridge Fair; but the late Sir Walter Gilbert considered that the dragoon guards were never so well mounted as they were in India, when the Cape-bred hackneys were imported for their use. The Duke of Wellington was always very particular about giving them regular exercise, and it is stated by the Druid in the Post and the Paddock, that they did 6 miles out of Brussels and back again every morning in two hours; 8 miles of it at a sharp trot, and the other 4 in a walk.

THE COACH-HORSE.

If it cannot be absolutely asserted that the first use of the horse was in harness, it is quite certain that the chariot-horse was held in high estimation in very early times, and is alluded to by poets and historians of all nations and in all languages. Homer says that Diomed, an Asiatic prince, had ten chariots, with a particular sort of horses for each; and he also makes Nestor, at the funeral games of Patroclus, harness the horses for his son with his own hands; and, by his skill in directing him in the race, he wins it. But the Grecian bard goes still further into minutiae. He even represents Menelaus, on the same occasion, using Eithe, one of the horses of Agamemnon, with one of his own; and Priam is found harnessing his favourite steeds to the car, in which he returns, with the dead body of his father, from Achilles's camp, on the plains of Troy. It would be endless to turn to other writers to show the estimation in which the chariot-horse has been held.

In its present acceptation, the term "coach-horse" includes two varieties; namely, the horse that draws the gentleman's carriage, and the one that is employed in those public conveyances called "stage-coaches." As regards the former animals, we believe a similar alteration has taken place in the form, appearance, and breeding of them, as has been seen in the English hunter within the last half century. The Flanders mares, so highly esteemed, and seen only in the carriages of families of distinction; the well buckled-up, long-tailed blacks and roans—have all disappeared, and we find in their stead the sort of horse nearly approaching to the one which was formerly considered quite well-bred enough for the chase. But the fact is, that nothing but well-bred horses have a chance to stand what is called harness-work on our roads. Those used also for "town-work," as the term is, are of a superior description, amongst which hundreds of good hunters might be selected; but such have been the high prices given for them by the dealers, at an age which would not admit of their being tried in the field, they have found their way into harness, and when once there they remain in it.

The form, however, of what may be termed a splendid town coach-horse, need not be, by any means perfect; and were a judge to examine minutely the points of vast numbers of those handsome horses seen in the carriages in London, or other large towns, he would find them very deficient in several points, essential to any purpose but harness—shoulders and hinder legs especially. But it is fortunate for breeders of horses, that it does not require true symmetry and action to form a grand coach-horse. His false points are, for the most part, concealed by his trappings; and if he be anything near the following form he will make an excellent appearance in harness. His head is not so material, as the bridle covers so much of it; but his neck should rise well out of his shoulders, as the higher he carries his head the better, provided the form of his neck admits of its being drawn inward by the bearing rein, when only moderately tight, in which case he will be easily acted upon by the driving rein. The back of the coach-horse is a material point, as, without an easy slope behind the withers, his forehand will not appear grand, nor will the pad sit well upon him. His hinder quarters should be straight and blood-like; his gaskins well spread; and his tail should be set on high. His action should not be too short for town-work, but the knee should be thrown well up in the trot, to give him a grand appearance. This peculiar action, the result of strong flexor tendons, suited nearly to this purpose only, is observable in colthood, but is increased afterwards by the horse being thrown more upon his hanches by the bit; and the act of drawing is not unfavourable to it. Light work in harness, indeed, is favourable to all action, that of galloping excepted.

The North and East Ridings of Yorkshire may be called the modern Epirus, as the greater part of the London coach-horses are bred there, and get into the dealers' hands at Howden and Northallerton fairs. The most usual cross is between the thorough-bred horse and the Cleveland-bay mare; but the appearance of too many of them incline us to believe that breeders resort, oftener than they should, to the half-bred horse, as well as to the half-bred mare. This, added to the rich grass land they are bred upon, accounts for the coarse, ill-placed shoulders, and flat, fleshy feet that so many of the London coach-horses exhibit. For road-work, in noblemen and gentlemen's carriages, horses cannot be too nearly full blood, provided they have strength equal to their work. Here, as over a country, "it is the pace that kills;" and as, in considerable velocity, the power of a horse is nearly exhausted in moving his own body, he needs every advantage we can give him.

The colour of the gentleman's coach-horse is, for the most part, bay or brown; but by far the most imposing in harness is the silver-gray, with black mane and tail. This colour was held sacred by the ancients; and Camillus is said to have given great offence to the Romans by being drawn through Rome, in his triumph, by four gray horses, no general having before ventured to do so. Gray coach-horses, however (in which Sir Henry Peyton latterly delighted), require the nicest grooming, and the best appointed harness. The piebald look conspicuous, but very few like to drive them. The skewballs are equally unfashionable, although the late Duke of Beaufort, whose taste in these matters was irreproachable, would have nothing else in his carriage. Virgil was partial to the piebald, or partly-coloured breed, and mounts young Priam upon one of them in the fifth, and Turnus in the ninth Ennius, both Thracian horses.

There are, however, a few points very necessary to be observed in the purchase of the road coach-horse. As in drawing, the force applied proceeds from the fulcrum formed by the hinder feet, well spread gaskins and thighs form a main excellence. His fore legs also should be good to make him a safe wheel-horse, nor can he throw his whole weight into his collar, unless he be sound in his feet. But alas, how many are thus deprived of their natural powers, by being worked upon unsound feet, and expected to exert themselves to the utmost.

There is no truth so easily proved, or so painfully felt by the post-master, at least in his pocket, as that it is the pace that kills. A horse at a dead pull, or at the beginning of his pull, is enabled, by the force of his muscles, to throw a certain weight into the collar. If he walk 4 miles in the hour, some part of that muscular energy must be expended in the act of walking; and, consequently, the power of drawing must be proportionally diminished. If he trot 8 miles in the hour, more animal power is expended in the trot, and less remains for the draught; but the draught continues the same, and, to enable him to accomplish his work, he must tax his energies to a degree that is cruel in itself, and that must speedily wear him out.

Let it be supposed, what every horse cannot accomplish, that he shall be able, by fair exertion and without distress, to throw, at a dead pull, a weight into his collar, or exert a force equal to 216 lb.; or, in other words, let him be able to draw a load which requires a force of 216 lb. to move. Let him next walk at the rate of 4 miles in an hour; what force will he then be able to employ? We have taken away some to assist him in walking, and we have left him only 96 lb., being not half of that which he could exert when he began his pull. He shall quicken his pace to 6 miles an hour, more energy must be exerted to carry him over this additional ground. How much has he remaining to apply to the weight behind him? 54 lb. only. We will make the 6 miles an hour 10; for it seems now to be the fashion for the fast coach, and for almost every coach, and every vehicle, to attempt this pace. How stands the account with the poor beast? We have left him a power equal to 32 lb. only to be employed for the purpose of draught.

The load which a horse can draw is about fifteen times greater than the power exerted, supposing the road to be hard and level, and the carriage to run with little friction; and the horse which, at starting, can throw into the collar a weight or force equal to 216 lbs., will draw a load of 3200. Let him, however, be urged on at the rate of 10 miles in the hour; deduct the power used in swiftness of pace from the sum total of that which he possesses, and what remains? not a sixth part, not that which is equal to a quarter of a ton, or, if it be a stage-coach, the energy exerted in draught by the four horses will not be equal to a ton.

The coach, and its passengers, and its luggage, weigh more than this, and the whole is still drawn on, and must be so. Whence comes the power? from the overstrained exertion, the injury, the torture, the destruction of the horse. That which is true of the coach-horse, is equally true of every other. Let each reader apply it to his own animal, and act as humanity and interest dictate.

It would be in vain to attempt any standard for road coach-horses. They must be picked up where they can be found, and, if possessed of action, the rest must be left to chance. A good constitution is desirable, for many die in the "seasoning," as it is called, on the road, and a young, green horse cuts a poor figure in a fast coach. Coachmasters are too much given to purchase infirm horses, by which they incur loss, for, if quite sound, it is as much as can be expected that they remain so for any moderate length of time; and we believe the average duration of horses in fast work is not more than four years, if purchased sound. Unsound horses, then, cannot be supposed to last nearly so long, independently of the cruelty of driving them. The most likely horse, however, to stand sound, and do his work well in a fast coach, is one that, with sufficient strength and a good set of limbs, has action sufficiently speedy to admit of his keeping time without going at the top of his pace. When this is the case, he runs his stage, from end to end, within himself, and is as good at the last as he was at the first; but when he cannot command the pace, he soon becomes distressed, and is weak at the end of his stage. This accounts for sundry accidents having occurred by wheel-horses being unable to hold back a loaded coach down hill, at the end of the stage, although they would have been more than equal to it at the beginning of it. In fact, many coach-horses are very good for 8 miles, but very bad for 10, so nicely are their powers measured in harness. Above all things, we recommend good legs and feet in working horses, if they are to be had; and an extra price is well laid out in procuring them. Whether they are strong in their harness, in very fast work, cannot be discovered until they are tried; but well bred ones, having substance, are most likely to prove so.

Coach-horses are subject to many accidents, and some diseases nearly peculiar to themselves. Amongst the former is the fracture of a leg, or the coffin-bone of the foot, occasioned generally, it is supposed, by treading on a stone, or any other uneven surface, when the limb is strained in draught. It, however, sometimes happens when the horse is trotting along on very fair ground, and in such cases the accident is rather difficult to account for. In very heavy draught, when the foot is much overcharged with the weight and pressure of the body, a fracture will sometimes take place at the first step the horse takes. Perhaps these accidents may be independent of what is called shape and make, but coach proprietors would do well to purchase their horses with good legs and feet, and then they are less liable to these accidents, and, with good care and good shoeing, may last many years in very quick work. The diseases peculiar to coach-horses are the megrims and the lick. The former attacks the head, and is caused by irregular motion of the fluids within the vessels of the brain, stopping, for a time, all voluntary motion. The horse in consequence staggers and falls, if not immediately pulled up, and that does not always prevent him. This species of vertigo is generally produced by the effect of a hot sun, especially if the horse be running in the face of it, for which reason horses subject to megrims are generally worked at night. In fact, many coach-horses are good horses by night, although they cannot keep their time by day, in the summer, particularly thick-winded horses. Blind horses also do not like sun, but "as healthy as a blind horse in the winter" is a proverb.

The lick can scarcely be called a disease, but it greatly injures the condition and appearance of coach-horses. When under its influence, they are almost constantly, when not feeding, licking each other's skins, or else the rack or manner. It proceeds from a heated state of the stomach, from the excitement of high food, and almost daily profuse sweating, and is invariably removed by alternative medicines or physic.

A great mistake is made by too many coach-masters in being under instead of over hored for their ground. Instead of keeping five horses to work a certain length of ground, and feeding them very high to perform it, it would answer them better to keep six horses on the same allowance of corn that the five horses are eating. The stock would last longer, and the money they cost be "kept together," as the term is, longer, by such means. Each horse would then rest two days out of six, when they were all fit for work, which would keep him very fresh in condition; and there would always be one spare horse left, in case either of the six wanting physic or rest. It is the almost every-day excitement that breaks down the constitution of coach-horses.

THE GIG-HORSE.

Once on a time a country parson and his wife, or a wealthy old farmer, were the only persons seen in England in two-wheeled carriages, then called Whiskies. They were useful though far from ornamental vehicles, having what is termed a "head" to protect the inmates from weather, and, with a very quiet horse, were considered as nearly equal in security to close four-wheeled carriages. In the character and appellations of these carriages, however, a wonderful alteration has taken place within the last fifty years, and even royalty itself has been seen seated in gigs, cabriolets, Stanhopees, and Tillhorses; the two last taking their names from the inventors of their peculiar forms. The build of these two-wheeled carriages has reached the very summit of perfection, not only as regards their firmness but their elegance; and it is scarcely necessary to add, that the horses driven in them, as likewise their harness, have equally altered their character. From 200 to 300 guineas (and, in one instance, 700 guineas were paid) have been no uncommon prices given for gig and cabriolet horses; and for gentleman's work we might put 70 as the average of the last forty years.

The choice of a gig-horse (for we confine ourselves to that term for the present) must be regulated by local circumstances. If for London streets, his action should be rather lofty or "grand," as the term is, than fast; that is to say, he should step with his knee much elevated, which of course is unfavourable to speed. His appearance also should be of the first order of his species, not under 15 hands 2 inches in height; and if of a fancy colour, the more money will he fetch in the market. He must be well bitted, carrying his head high, and very quick in getting into his trot, or "upon his legs," as coachmen say, to enable his driver to make his way in crowded streets. We should also add, that this quickness in his motions should be accompanied by perfectly good temper, and freedom from all vice; in which case he is always worth 100 guineas, or more, if in the prime of life and sound.

For the country a different sort of gig-horse is required. In drawing a gig on a soft or newly gravelled road, the resistance is much the same as a continual hill; and therefore a horse with a quick, short step is best calculated for the road, as such action fatigues less than that which we have recommended for London. For all purposes, however, a horse in single harness, to be safe, should be well up before; that is to say, he should go with his fore quarters high up, and not boring on his shoulders. In this case, if he have well-placed shoulders, good legs, and sound feet, free from corns and thrushes; good natural courage to induce him to "run up to his bit," and a good mouth, there will be very little danger of his falling down in a gig; but accidents from vice must depend upon other circumstances. These accidents, however, are often the result not of real vice, or even of ill temper, but of want of knowledge in his owner of putting him properly into his harness, as well as of driving him afterwards.

Innumerable accidents to horses in gigs arise from some part of the harness pinching him, particularly about his withers or back, when he will endeavour to kick himself out of it, to rid himself of the torment. Indeed we have more than once seen a road coach-horse, in regular work, set a-kicking merely from a twisted trace rubbing edgeways against the outside of his thigh.

We consider mares objectionable in single harness, for reasons which are obvious; and few of them are to be trusted at certain periods of the year, particularly in the case of a rein getting under the tail. When driven, the precaution of the safety rein should not be omitted. We are also of opinion that numerous accidents from gigs would be prevented, if horses intended for them were to be broken in to them in bridles without winkers, as a great portion of the horses on the Continent are driven. The not knowing what they have behind them is a natural cause of alarm, and would by this means be obviated.

THE POST-HORSE.

This description of horse, although its day is quite gone by, is one of the most useful we have. He is spoken of by Xenophon, in allusion to the posts instituted by the first Cyrus, and as the most expeditious method of travelling by land (Cyropædia, lib. viii., p. 496, edit. Hutchinson); although, perhaps, he was chiefly made use of to forward public despatches. Augustus was the first to introduce post-houses, and consequently post-horses and post-chaises, amongst the Romans, disposed at convenient distances (Suet. in vit. Aug. vi., 49), but these were chiefly for the purpose of political intelligence. Thus, in a letter from Pliny to Trajan, we find him informing the emperor of his having granted a courier a warrant to make use of the public posts, as he wished him to be quickly in possession of some important facts, communicated to him by the King of Sardinia; and he subsequently (Letter cxxi.) apologizes to his royal master for having ventured, on his own responsibility, to grant an order for his wife to be forwarded by post-chaises, on occasion of a domestic affliction. His letter produced a kind answer from the emperor, approving, in this peculiar instance, of the use of the warrants which he had entrusted to his care.

The character and appearance of this class of horses, as well as of all others, has undergone a marked improvement in comparatively modern times. Up to the end of the last century the post-horse was, except in a few instances, an object of commiseration with travellers. With galled sides and sore shoulders, and scarcely a sound limb, he would not go without the lash or spur; whereas he now comes out of his stable in high condition, and runs his 10 miles stage in an hour with a carriage of the average weight, and 12, if required, with a light one. He is also seen to perform either of these tasks without being distressed, unless in immoderately hot weather, when humane persons would check his speed. Montaigne says, "There is a certain general claim of kindness and benevolence which every creature has a right to from man," a sentiment in which we heartily concur; for, although man may be considered as the delegate of heaven over inferior animals, he has no right to go to the very extremity of his authority. It is, however, much to be feared that a thoughtless indifference to the sufferings of the post-horse is too frequently to be laid with truth to travellers in our own country, who, without any sufficient reason, urge him to a rate of speed which cannot be unattended with suffering.

The form of the good post-horse should resemble that of the hunter, which is generally ridden in the deep and close hunting counties of Great Britain; that is, with as much blood as can be got, in conjunction with good bone and strength. The riding horse of the pair must have sound legs and feet; but, if a little the worse for wear, an old hunter makes an excellent hand-horse (if he will not lie down the moment he has to take to his collar at a hill), and innkeepers generally avail themselves of the saving occasioned by putting horses of a less price in that place than the one which carries the driver. Notwithstanding this, the average purchase money of a useful pair of post-horses cannot be estimated at less than from £50 to £70.

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Errors detected by experience are allowed to be equal to demonstration; but this truism is not admitted by a vast majority of English farmers, who persevere in the use of the heavy horse for agricultural purposes, for which, while he is by no means fitted, from the slowness of his step (independently of his weight), unless very highly fed. As long, however, as the ponderous vehicles made use of in London and elsewhere for the transmission of heavy goods are persevered in, this equally ponderous animal, which sometimes weighs a ton, may be necessary; but it is certain that lighter horses in lighter vehicles would do the business better, that is, more speedily and at less cost. Notwithstanding the objections to him, the heavy cart-horse pays well for rearing; for, being always saleable at two years old, a certain profit is insured, as for the first year the expense of keeping him is trifling. If on a large scale, and promising to be fit for the London market, or the best-conducted road waggons, he commands a price that leaves a handsome surplus to the breeder.

The chief desiderata in the cart-horse are substance and action. If possessed of the latter, his shoulders and fore-quarters can scarcely be too coarse and heavy; for drawing being an effort of the animal to preserve himself from the tendency which his weight gives him to the centre of gravity when he inclines forward, so the more weighty he is before and the nearer he approximates this centre, the more advantageously will he apply his powers. Notwithstanding this, we are not advocates of heavy horses for farmers' work, much less on the road. The lighter horse gets over in eight hours what would take the heavy one ten; and the great improvement in the present mode of culture, and the implements used for agricultural purposes, do not require more weight or strength than what the Suffolk, Clydesdale, Cleveland-bay, and other lighter breeds, are masters of. Besides, there are periods of the year when despatch of business is of great moment to the farmer, which he cannot command in those mountains of horse-flesh which we see labouring in most of the finest districts in England, tiring themselves by their own weight.

Travellers on the Continent, occupying land in England, should carry in their eye the form and action of the horses which draw the public carriages, particularly those bred in Picardy, in France. The prevailing colour is iron roan, and their nature appears to sympathize with that colour; for, speaking figuratively, they are as hard as iron itself. It is not unusual to find four or five of them drawing those cumbersome diligences, weighing perhaps 6 or 7 tons, a 20-mile stage at the rate of 6 miles an hour, preserving up their condition to the highest pitch; and this with hay and corn very inferior in quality to that grown in England. To keep up the condition of the English cart-horse, requires him to consume nearly as much as his labour is worth; and unless he lives well he is only half alive, which his sluggish action denotes. In fact, his chief fault lies in his having too great a body and too little spirit, consequently he exhausts himself in the mere act of carrying that body. The nimbleness of the smaller kinds of cart-horses to which we have alluded, is owing to their moderate size; and their immense powers in lifting weight (with the Suffolk Punch, and Clydesdale breeds, in particular) to the same cause, combined with the low position of the shoulder, which occasions weight to be acted upon in a just and horizontal direction. The Welsh cart-horses, especially those in use in the counties of Denbigh, Merioneth, and Montgomery, are eminently adapted to all agricultural purposes, combining much strength with a great share of activity; and the general criteria of a wide breast, with low shoulders, good carcase, and small head, indicate their being good workers, with hardihood of constitution. Their height is about 15 hands 2 inches; and their colour black or brown.

THE IRISH HORSE.

The Irish hackney may be reckoned amongst the indigenes of his country, a sui generis animal, not mixed as the English hackney is, with the black cart-horse, originally and still brought over by dealers from Flanders. He is remarkable for the general soundness of his feet, which are stronger in the heels than those of English horses, and he stands his work well, if not too much abused in his youth. Almost all Irish horses coming under this description have been broken into the plough and the car, so they, for the most part, go in harness; but the worst fault they have is not having been properly broken in, and bitted, which is the cause of many of them being restive.

The Irish hunter is a very different animal from what he was half a century back. He was always celebrated for leaping, but until lately the want of breeding rendered him nearly useless as a hunter, in the countries which require speed, as well as the accomplishment of leaping. At the present time great numbers of excellent well-bred Irish hunters are annually imported into England, and being found to answer well, fetch good prices. This is the result of horse-breeders in Ireland seeing the necessity of putting their hunting mares to thorough-bred stallions, and not, as before, to the slow, great-jumping hunter, no matter how low his breed. The improved cross, being again put to the thorough-bred stallion, of course has produced a still better kind of animal, and thus are Irish hunters "progressing" towards perfection.

The method of leaping of the native Irish horse is peculiarly suited to some of our English counties, Cheshire and Lancashire, for example, and likewise to those inclosed with walls both in England and Scotland. To use an expressive Irish phrase, "they have always a leg to spare," implying that they have a ready use of their hinder legs; which is the fact, in tipping or touching walls or banks, with one or both, which gives them a fresh fulcrum, from which they can extend their leap, in case of their finding an unforeseen difficulty or obstacle on the landing side. In the wall counties of Ireland, indeed, the horses are taught to alight on their hinder legs upon the summit of the wall, after the manner of the dog when he leaps a gate, which, if the wall be broad and firm, adds to the facility of the exertion, as also to the safety of the rider. Irish hunters are generally good brook jumpers, being educated, indeed bred, amongst drains; but field gates, or stiles, being of rare occurrence in the pastoral districts of Ireland, they are not to be relied upon as timber leapers, until they have been initiated to that description of fence.

Persons who have had experience in Irish hunters have found them very shy of having a whip, with a thong to it, made use of by the rider, either for the purpose of smacking it, or to strike an unruly hound. This, we fear, proceeds from unnecessary severity in the exercise of the whip in breaking, but which would be obviated if breeders were aware of the inconvenience it occasions to servants, who are called upon to ride Irish horses with hounds in the capacity of huntsmen or whippers-in. We have seen a few of these horses nearly useless from this cause, as servants' horses; although well suited, in every other respect, to this peculiar purpose from their style of fencing and hardihood.

The Irish race-horse was formerly far behind the English; but he has latterly—as Harkaway, Foig-a-Ballagh, The Baron, Irish Birdcatcher, Russborough, and Knight of St George, have proved—shown himself a match for them both in the stud and on the Turf. For their first good runners the Irish were principally indebted to Lords Sligo and Rossmore, and to the late Mr Bowes Daly, who was esteemed the best judge of breeding racers that Ireland ever could boast of. It must, however, be admitted that horses bred and trained in one country, and running in another, meet their rivals under disadvantageous circumstances, in consequence of the loss of condition consequent on a sea voyage.

THE SCOTCH HORSE.

Like all cold countries, Scotland is unfavourable to breeding the race-horse in his best form; and the only prospect of rearing him to anything approaching perfection is to shelter him with unusual care from the weather, when either cold or wet, and to force him with the highest keep. Scottish-bred hunters, however, are esteemed in the hunting world as a stout, hardy race; and they, like the Irish, are now well enough bred to live with any hounds at the speedy rate at which those animals run, according to the fashion of the present day. Of the native Highland pony it is unnecessary to say much, its merits being so well known; and the Scotch cart-horses are decidedly the best in Great Britain. The peculiar variety known as Clydesdale horses stand first in repute. Of the origin of this race various accounts have been given, but none of them so clear or so well authenticated as to merit much notice. They acquired their appellation, not because they are peculiar to Clydesdale, as the same description of horses are bred in the other western counties of Scotland, and over all that tract which lies between the Clyde and the Forth, but because the principal markets at which they are sold—namely, Lanark, Carluath, Rutherglen, and Glasgow—are situated in that district, where they are also preserved in a state of greater purity than in most other parts. They are rather larger than the Suffolk-punch, and the neck is somewhat longer; their colour is black, brown, or gray; all the essential points for heavy draught are very conspicuously developed; and they are extremely docile withal, and excellent at what is called a dead pull. Mr Charles Philips, of Cracrop, Cumberland, is the best English breeder of them; and some of his two-year-olds, according to The Druid, have been sold in Canada at 4 shillings and 8 pence per pound! Some magnificent specimens of this breed are to be seen in the streets of Glasgow, in the service of merchants and carriers. We have reason to believe that, if tried by a dynamometer, the Clydesdale horse would exceed...