horses go easier, and with more comfort to their riders, when leading
with the near fore; therefore I do not think a rule can be laid down as
to which is invariably the best, but after having ridden the colt a
little time you will soon find out which way he goes best, for I think
it a pity, if he goes best with his near fore first, just for the sake
of fashion, to alter it to the off fore; for although it is easy to
teach him to lead with the off leg, it will never have the same easy
and free motion it had when using the near, which in this particular
case nature seemed to have intended for that purpose. Again, some
horses will trot equally well with either leg leading. If the colt is
being taught for a lady’s riding, he must lead with his off fore-leg.
=The Canter.=—By some writers the canter is described as a thoroughly
artificial pace, but why, I am unable to understand. The _true_ canter
is nothing more than a slow gallop, as is the gallop an extended and
fast canter, the difference between the two paces being a matter of
_speed_. If the style of movement of some ladies’ horses which go with
a sort of hop and a shuffle, which is generally termed a canter, is
_the_ canter alluded to by these authors, then I acknowledge it _is_
an artificial pace, and one very tiring to the animal as well as very
prejudicial to his soundness, and, to my mind, very ugly to boot. If
ladies must ride rocking-horses, they would be much better supplied
with wooden ones, which could be kept at much less cost, requiring
neither food, shoeing, nor grooming, whilst the wear and tear of the
habit would be much reduced, owing to the lack of mud thrown up.
Luckily we seldom see one of these hopping, shuffling brutes, which by
some are supposed to be the perfection of a lady’s horse.
The colt is taught to canter by urging him forward, the meanwhile
restraining him with the bit. In the canter as in the trot, true action
is required, and for the same reason, namely, that speed not being
requisite, comfort and beauty of pace take its place, which can only be
accomplished by having the hind legs well drawn under the body, and the
knees well elevated and flexed. If the colt is for a gentleman to ride,
I do not think it matters which fore-leg he leads with, for, as in the
trot, some animals lead better with one than the other; but if for a
lady, the colt should always be taught to lead with his off fore, which
is done by drawing his head a little to the near side, at the same time
striking him with the whip on the same side.
=The Gallop= is an extension or exaggeration of the canter, the limbs
not being elevated so much as in the canter, but extended to a greater
extent, whilst the abdomen is brought nearer to the ground. For
ordinary galloping the colt requires no teaching; only give him his
head, and urge him forward fast enough, and he will gallop. For racing
purposes the colt must be taught to make the most of his gallop; but
as this is not a treatise on training, and as the racing colt acquires
his education under the supervision of his trainer, I shall not enter
further into the subject.
CHAPTER V.
THE ROAD HACK.
HIS CONFORMATION—THE LADIES’ HORSE—ROTTEN ROW—THE COVERT
HACK—THE HUNTER—FOR AN OPEN COUNTRY—FOR A CRAMPED COUNTRY—MADE
HUNTERS—PLEASURES OF A PULLING HORSE—BREAKING IN A COLT TO
HOUNDS—‘CAN HE LEAP?’—NATURAL JUMPERS—ARTIFICIAL FENCES—LIFTING
HORSES AT THEIR FENCES—AN INCIDENT—WATER JUMPS—HOW TO
FALL WELL—HIGH-COURAGED _VERSUS_ SLUGGISH HORSES—WASHING
HORSES’ LEGS—MUD FEVER—STOPPING HORSES’ FEET—MICROSCOPIC
EXPERIMENTS—ENGLISH RACERS IN AUSTRALIA AND INDIA—PARING HORSES’
FEET—COLTS SHEDDING THEIR TEETH—COMPOSITION OF BONE—TWO-YEAR-OLD
RACING—PRIZE-FIGHTERS—EARLY MATURITY AND EARLY DECAY—FAMOUS
AMERICAN TROTTERS: TOPGALLANT, LADY BLANCHE, DUTCHMAN, AJAX,
FLORA TEMPLE, LADY THORN, GOLDSMITH MAID, DEXTER, AMERICAN
GIRL—RACING NOW-A-DAYS A MONEY-MAKING BUSINESS.
CHAPTER V.
THE ROAD HACK.
I will here give a brief description of the several classes of
saddle-horses required in this country for civil purposes.
=The Road Hack=, worked as he is on hard metal roads, cannot combine
speed with durability, as the rate of fourteen to eighteen miles an
hour would soon wear out his feet and legs, when he would only be fit
for a tradesman’s cart or cab work, therefore a horse of this sort
should be a good walker, and be able to trot from eight to twelve or
fourteen miles an hour, doing it with good, true, and level action,
being neither too high nor too low, for with low action when he has
gone some distance and begins to feel tired he will trip over stones
or inequalities in the ground, and very possibly fall, and if the
action is too high he will soon batter his legs and feet to pieces.
With regard to make and shape, he should be as near perfection as
possible, for without perfect symmetry no pace can be at the height of
excellence, but as perfect conformation is seldom met with, its nearest
approach must be sought for.
The head should be small and fine, broad between the eyes and between
the branches of the lower jaw at their angles, also the distance
from the eye to the angle of the lower jaw should be great; the
nostrils should be large, wide, clean, and well-defined; the mouth
small, with the lips thin and firm; the ears should be small, fine,
and pointed, being carried firmly with their tips inclining slightly
towards each other; the eye should be large, full, and prominent, with
well-developed arch. The neck must be long, thin, and fit well into
the space formed between the branches of the lower jaw, longer on
its upper than its under surface, as well as convex on its superior
border. The head should be well ‘set on’ to the neck, which, if the
jaws are wide and the neck of the proper conformation will be the
case, and add very materially to the good mouth of the horse. The
withers must neither be too fine, thick, or low, whilst a fine wither
well clothed with muscle, and yet not loaded, is perfection. The mane
should be fine, silky, and not too abundant. The shoulder-blade must be
long and oblique, not straight, neither must it be coarse, but blend
gradually into the withers and back; a coarse thick shoulder should
always be avoided, as also a very fine one, leaving the withers to
stand up by themselves like a plough-share, for an animal with such
shoulders will soon tire, owing to insufficient muscular development
of the parts. The long oblique shoulder gives plenty of space before
the rider, the saddle sits well provided the girth is also deep and
the action is pleasant, but if the shoulder be straight or short, or
a combination of both, the saddle will be too forward, and when the
horse stumbles, as he is almost sure to do from defective action due
to this malconformation, he runs the chance of falling, breaking his
knees, and perhaps the neck of his rider as well. The chest should be
deep and moderately broad, both being essential to the full development
of the functions of the heart and lungs. The fore-arm must be long
in proportion to the leg, that is, the greater length in proportion
must be above the knee, and the less below it the better; the muscular
development of the fore-arm should be as great as possible. The elbow
long and prominent, not ‘tied in,’ but clear of the chest. The knee
should be large, wide, and prominent, but should appear more or less
flat when examined from in front; the trapezium, or bone behind the
knee, should also be long and prominent. Avoid ‘calf’ knees, and those
which are bent forward. The cannon or shank bone should be as short
and strong as possible, and perfectly straight, being neither curved
forwards, backwards, or laterally: the tendons at the posterior aspect
of this bone should stand well out from it, which will be the case when
the trapezium is well developed; there should be a distinct line of
demarcation between the tendons and the bone, but if this is filled up
the leg will be more or less round instead of being broad and flat.
Such legs are called ‘gummy.’ The fetlock joint should be large and
flat laterally, its posterior aspect being well-defined and prominent.
The pastern bones should neither be too long, short, oblique, or
straight. If the pastern is long it is necessarily oblique, and
therefore weak; if short it is upright, and the severe concussion so
produced causes ringbones, windgalls, navicular disease, &c., besides
causing the horse to be rough and unpleasant to ride. The pastern joint
should be well developed and strong. The feet, as regards the size,
make and shape, &c., of the horse should neither be too large nor too
small; the walls of the foot should form at the toe an angle of about
45° with the ground; the sole should be moderately concave, the frog
large and strong, and the whole hoof should be tough, sound, and not
brittle. The back should be straight and not too long, a hollow back
being objectionable on account of its weakness, whilst a roach back
is very strong, although a horse having a back of that conformation
will be rough to ride. The ribs should be long and oval, and they
should continue to be so up to the very last, and the space between
the last rib and the ‘hooks’ should be capable of being covered by the
breadth of the hand. The hind quarters must be long, deep, full, and
broad, as well as straight from the back to the tail, the distance
from the ‘hooks’ to the hocks great, the stifle prominent, and the
‘second thighs’ large and full. The hock should be large and fine,
without being coarse or having any puffiness about it; the point of
the hock prominent, and the leg below the hock incline a little under
the body; it should neither be perpendicular nor deviate laterally
from the perpendicular, or in other words, should not be ‘wide behind’
or ‘cow-hocked.’ Those parts below the hocks may be compared with the
description of those below the knee. The tail should be carried in a
straight line from the spinal chain and then droop in a graceful curve.
=The Ladies’ Horse= should be cast in a longer mould, or his body will
be almost hidden by the habit, therefore his neck must be long, and
his back longer than that of a man’s hack, which will also give more
elasticity to its paces. He should be perfect in conformation, paces,
mouth, and temper, which if one may judge by what one sees of ladies’
mounts in the Row, is very seldom found, by far the greater number
being long-legged weeds or thick coarse carriage-horses, as rough as
an elephant, and often very lame as well; in fact, they are horses
that a man would not ride himself if he possibly could help it, but
yet he considers them good enough for his sisters, daughters, or wife.
It is quite a treat to see a really good lady’s horse amongst the
miscellaneous herd of nags to be found in the Row during the season.
=The Cover Hack= is a cob of from fourteen to fifteen hands high,
capable of carrying his rider to the meet at the rate of about sixteen
miles an hour, and he must also be able to jump a little so as to go
by short cuts if required to do so. If for a heavy weight he must be a
stout cob, but for a weight under fifteen stone may be well bred, or
for a light weight actually thoroughbred.
=The Hunter= may be quite thoroughbred, nearly thoroughbred, or
half-bred. If for a light weight, say under twelve stone, and in such
flying counties as Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, a thoroughbred
should be ridden, provided the purse be long enough to procure one up
to the weight and with the necessary qualities. A nearly thoroughbred
will suit a weight of from twelve to sixteen stone, but beyond that
a horse with great strength, good action, and a certain amount of
breeding—in fact, a well-bred cart-horse—will be required. If the
country be an open one with large enclosures, and consequently few
fences, the thoroughbred will be the best horse for hunting purposes,
speed being the requisite, but for a cramped country, a half-bred horse
is the best, being better qualified to get over awkward fences than
the thoroughbred, who has for generations and generations been bred
for flat racing, and consequently has to some extent lost the knack or
power of jumping over a high fence, although he can easily defeat the
half-bred over a wide jump. Moreover, the hot, fiery, and eager temper
of the thoroughbred is not qualified to negotiate high, frequent, and
difficult fences with calmness, and therefore accidents are more liable
to happen; whilst the half-bred being of more equable temperament is
not flurried to such an extent, and when in any difficulty at a fence
is more likely to recover himself and carry his rider safely to the
end of the run than the thoroughbred. As a rule, the thoroughbred is
not good over rough ground, for although he may not actually have been
trained or raced, his parents in all probability have, and of course
the training-ground and race-course being smooth and level, they have
had no necessity or opportunity of picking their way and regulating
their steps to the ground over which they are going; therefore every
breeder of horses intended for hunting should run his young stock for
a certain period on the roughest ground he can find, having a few open
drains, bogs, &c., to assist in the education of the young animals over
uneven, broken, and rough ground.
A hunter should be as near perfection as regards make and shape as
possible, he should be eager, but at the same time his temper must be
good, his mouth also should be perfect. It is easy to buy a so-called
‘_made hunter_’ provided the purse be of sufficient elasticity to meet
the demands of the vendor. As a rule, and with _very_ few exceptions,
this ‘made hunter’ is a good leaper, has a hard mouth, and when in
view of a fence clenches his bit in his mouth, and rushes at it at the
speed of twenty miles an hour. I should like to know what _pleasure_
can be derived by riding such a brute as above described. It takes
all a man can do to moderate the animal’s pace, it requires two hands
on the reins to turn him from side to side, and the rider has the
pleasant prospect in the event of a mistake at a fence, of his horse
not being able to recover himself, the almost inevitable ‘spill’ being
the result. Besides, his mount requiring all his attention, he is thus
unable to enjoy the hunting, that is to say, he is unable to watch
the working of the hounds, and thus his day’s hunting (so called) is
nothing more than a modified steeplechase with none of its accompanying
pleasures.
To have a good hunter the best way is to break him in yourself,
provided you are competent to do so, having a good seat, good hands,
patience, pluck, and above all a liking for the work.
I will suppose you have a three-year-old, broken to road work, and that
you wish to break him to hounds. The best way to do so will be to ride
him to the meets as often as possible, and when he has got accustomed
to the excitement of being amongst a crowd of horsemen in gay-coloured
coats, the foot-people and the hounds, you may allow him a longer
‘interview’ with them by following them to the covert. Harriers are
the best for this purpose, owing to ‘puss’ as a rule running in a
circle, where you have the opportunity of showing your colt everything,
without ‘taking it out of him.’ Besides, the pace being so moderate
you can always get some one to give you a lead over a small fence or
two, in fact you are teaching your colt to become used to the crush,
excitement, &c., and at the same time giving him a few easy lessons in
leaping.
‘Can he leap?’ is a common question amongst ‘horsey’ men when alluding
to a colt. My answer to this is that _any_ colt will jump if in good
hands, and provided he has not already been made a fool of by some
greater fool than himself. Whether it be a thoroughbred, half-bred,
or cart colt, he will _naturally_ jump if he has not been previously
messed about with. I do not say they will all leap an equal height
or an equal width, but that they will do so to the best of their
abilities. I have frequently leaped colts over fences in cool blood
within a week or fortnight after having first mounted them, and never
met with a refusal. I do not mean to say that it is good practice to
do so so early, but merely mention the fact. When you first begin
to follow hounds with your colt, do not stay with them more than an
hour, and if they are running fast leave them before that time has
expired, for your object at present is not to gallop after hounds, but
to accustom your animal to the bustle and excitement connected with
hunting. With a three-year-old no galloping should be done, but if the
hounds after the first draw go away, and you think it probable the fox
will return to that covert, or to one near it, you may ‘potter’ about
a little in the hopes of falling in with them again, but you must be
sure to take your colt home before he is tired, for the excitement will
carry him through for a time, but on reaching home he may be quite done
up, refuse his food, and be anything but =A 1= for two or three days.
All a three-year-old should do, is to go to the meet and trot about
with the hounds till they find, and if there is a probable chance of
them circling about for a time, as when in a big wood, he may still be
kept moving. But when hounds commence to run, the colt should be turned
homewards and ridden quietly so as to get him settled down if possible
before reaching his stables; he should then be roughly groomed and left
to himself with a feed of corn for a time, before his final polish up.
A four-year-old may be allowed to follow the hounds when running for a
short distance, but at the first check should be ridden home quietly,
and if the run is very fast he should be eased off, and when the field
is out of sight turned homewards.
A five-year-old may do a little more, but must not be ridden in a long
or fast run, neither must he be out with the hounds more than three
hours, for he is still a _baby_, having only just shed his milk teeth,
and donned his permanent ones. Every hunting man knows that a horse is
not fit to go through a run until he is six years old.
By the preceding remarks it will be seen that unless a man can forego
the excitement of the chase he is not capable of breaking-in a colt
with the ultimate view of making him a hunter.
To teach the colt to leap, the best way is to take him over small
fences every now and then with hounds; but it will be as well to give
him lessons in cold blood also, and for that purpose a few artificial
fences may be put up in a field, care being taken to vary them. Thus,
you may have a plain hedge, a hedge with a ditch on one side of it, and
another with a ditch on both sides; some hurdles, and a plain but low
post and rail fence. These fences should not be high, three feet six
inches to four feet being quite high enough; the hurdles and post and
rails should be firmly fixed, otherwise the colt will soon find out
that they are easily knocked down, and then will not even try to clear
them. A fall or two over timber at the commencement will soon teach
the animal that the fences cannot be thrown down, but that to elude a
‘spill’ they must be cleared properly. The colt should be ridden very
quietly at his fences, his head should be tolerably slack, and every
endeavour on the part of the rider should be brought into play to get
the young animal to fence as quietly as he would canter over a field;
by these means rushing at fences is overcome, or rather not taught,
and in the event of a slip or fall the animal has a good chance of
recovering himself, having the free use of his head and the pace being
moderate. One constantly hears of such and such a rider being very
good, owing to his being able to _lift_ his horse at his fences. Can
a man _lift_ a horse when he is on his back? Could a man—booted and
spurred if you like—seated across a form or chair with his feet off the
ground, _lift_ it? It is a perfect impossibility for a man to lift his
horse at a fence, and those people who are in the habit of using this
expression evidently do not think of what they are saying. What they
really do mean is, that the rider draws his horse on to his haunches
at his fence and then, with whip or spur, sends him over. This is all
very well—but, for all that, is bad horsemanship—at an easy, clean
fence; but if the leap should be an awkward one, with the taking off
or landing (or perhaps both) bad, a horse so ridden would be sure to
fall short of his leap, and, through his head being too much confined,
when he does come to grief he is unable to help himself. Therefore,
make it a rule to give your horse his head and allow him to take his
leaps as he thinks best, for depend upon it his instinct will teach him
what is required far better than you can. I have seen many a fall in
the hunting-field through no fault whatever of the horse, but owing to
the meddling of his rider who imagined he was able to lift or assist
him. When a horse has over-jumped himself or is in danger of losing
his balance, if you pull at the bit it disconcerts him, draws his
attention away from his danger, and down he goes as a rule. I will
here relate a case in point. The hounds were running when a very high
bank stopped the field, who, one by one, were getting through a gap in
the fence, when a horseman, being impatient of waiting his turn, backed
his horse a few paces and rode him quietly at the bank which was over
six feet high. The horse (a four-year-old) landed on the top, but owing
to its height wavered, and seemed inclined to fall either backwards
or forwards. The rider, with great tact, sat motionless, and allowed
the colt the free use of his head, when he soon recovered his balance,
and jumping down on the opposite side landed in safety and joined the
hunt. Now, supposing an ordinary rider had been in this predicament on
the top of the bank, he would have handled the reins and thus either
pulled the animal back on the top of him or else have fallen on the
opposite side; in either case there would have been broken bones, if
not loss of life. There is one exception to allowing a colt to take his
leaps as he thinks best, and that is when going over water or over a
fence with a wide ditch on one side or a ditch on both sides. When a
wide-jump has to be negotiated, the colt must be sent full speed at it,
so as to cover it in his stride, being the opposite to high jumping;
for the higher the fence the slower should the horse be ridden at it. I
was riding a colt to hounds once, when a watercourse came in our way;
it was not a wide one, being only about twelve feet across, but it was
six or eight feet deep with bricked sides and having very little water
at the bottom of it, altogether forming an ugly jump for a young one
who had never been over water before. I sent him at it at a good pace,
but feeling he wavered on nearing it I swerved him round and put him at
it again, when he again slackened speed, and knowing that he would not
refuse I allowed him to do as he liked. He looked down at the bottom
of it for a second or so, and then gathering himself together leaped
over it standing, but fell on the opposite bank with his hind fetlocks
hanging over the bank; another three or four inches would have cleared
it, but he fell so collectedly that he did not unseat me although I had
to dismount to allow him to regain his feet. I always considered this
a good lesson, for the colt afterwards, whenever nearing a water-jump,
increased his speed of his own accord, having evidently learnt that
water could not be crossed standing. Depend upon it, the less you try
to _teach_ a colt to go across country the better, for he can do it
much better than you can teach him, provided you only leave him alone.
In teaching a colt over artificial fences, great care must be taken
not to sicken him of his work, but every endeavour should be made to
get him to be fond and eager to jump; therefore, if he is ridden once
backwards and forwards over the fences three times a week it will be
quite sufficient. In the meantime you may give him a leap or two out
of one field into another, or take him out with the hounds for a short
distance.
A perfect leaper is one who takes his fences as a matter of course,
just as he would canter from furrow to furrow over a field; nothing
can be worse than a horse who, on seeing a fence before him, rushes at
it _nolens volens_; as, owing to the impetus thus gained, if he makes
a mistake it is very difficult for him to recover himself. Therefore,
take every precaution to teach your colt to leap quietly and without
any fuss.
When a horse is required to hunt in a bank country, it is a very common
practice to attach a cavasson to his bridle and lead him over a few
of these fences, but I do not consider this good practice, or indeed
for any kind of leaping. For if he is taken over small banks at first
he will learn the use of his legs, which in reality is the object
required, and if he should by chance fall, the pace being so slow and
the height so insignificant, the rider, if he be competent to break-in
a colt at all, will not hurt himself: for a _good_ rider ought to know
how to _fall well_ as well as how to ride well. When you fall try to
retain the reins in your hand, but if you see that by so doing you run
the danger of the animal rolling over or striking you, you must let
them loose, and if you are quickly on your legs again you may regain
them before the horse has recovered himself; but if not, it is far
better to have a run to catch your steed than undergo the chance of
being crushed or maimed by him.
High-couraged generous horses are apt to go faster and do more work
than they should; therefore they should be kept in check, or their
eagerness to do their work will not keep pace with their strength and
endurance. On the contrary, sluggish animals require a great deal of
work to make them fit to gallop, and they also must be roused up from
time to time.
Although I feel it is not within the province of this little volume, I
wish to draw the attention of my readers to the malpractice of washing
horses’ legs and feet, and also of ‘stopping’ the feet. When washing
horses’ legs you are almost sure not to dry them thoroughly, thereby
inducing cracked heels and the so-called ‘mud fever;’ but if on the
return of the animal to his stable the worst of the mud is brushed off
with a stiff brush, and when dry well brushed again, the increased
circulation so produced will excite a healthy action of the skin and
prevent all disease. Horses’ feet can very well be cleansed by means
of a pick and a cloth without resorting to water, which being absorbed
by capillary attraction into the horn-fibres, causes them to dilate;
and thus the horn-substance, instead of being hard and compact, is
rendered soft and spongy. Again, horses’ feet should not be ‘stopped,’
nor should they be suffered to stand in their excretions, for the
ammonia given off from the dung and urine dilates to a great extent the
horn-fibres, thus causing the horn to be so soft that ‘thrush’ is the
consequent disease. I have lately made microscopic experiments on the
healthy horn, the horn soaked with water, and that with ammonia and
water, and found the fibres in the horny sole soaked in water to be
twice the size of the natural or healthy horn, whilst that in contact
with ammonia showed the fibres to be three times the size of those
in healthy horn. English racers in Australia are allowed seven pounds
because their feet are unable to withstand the hard ground; and, for
the same reason, English horses are useless for racing purposes in
India. Shoes are nailed to horses’ feet for the very reason that nature
did not make them _hard_ enough to stand work on metal roads, therefore
why do people put stopping into their horses’ feet to make them softer,
thus counteracting to a certain extent the benefit derived from the
shoes? Surely if people _desire_ soft feet there is rain enough in this
country, puddles enough on the roads, and surface water _ad libitum_ on
the fields, to effect their purpose without resorting to such a filthy,
beastly thing as cowdung. Horses’ feet get so soaked with water during
their work or exercise, that the aim of every horse owner should be to
_keep them as dry as possible_ when in the stable, instead of doing
their best to make them rotten and diseased. Horses in dry climates,
such as India and Australia, have very hard feet because they are
never wet, and for this reason are seldom shod except when used for
work on metal roads; but when in the rainy season they get soft they
are obliged to be shod, because their feet are _not hard enough_.
Paring horses’ feet is also a very bad practice. Nature meant the sole
to be strong, but when pared it becomes weak, unable to withstand hard
substances, and thus gets bruised and subject to corns &c. The knife
should, in all cases, be kept off the feet, the rasp being the best
instrument with which to shorten the walls, and it is also perfectly
able to remove all exfoliated horn from the sole. Is there any sense
in paring an animal’s feet, and then having to put on leather soles to
protect them?
Hunters should not be put to full work until six years of age, for
their bones and tendons are unable to stand the continued strain.
Until colts have attained their fifth year, they are shedding their
milk teeth and cutting others; consequently their mouths are broken,
sore, and the system more or less fevered. Owing to the soreness and
tenderness of the animal’s mouth, he is unable to feed well, and thus
cannot be got into proper condition; besides the colt cannot stand the
wear and tear on account of his bones not being _formed_, they having
more cartilaginous than osseous material in their formation. The adult
horse, that is, one that has a full mouth, has ⅔ of osseous to ⅓ of
cartilaginous material entering into the composition of his bones,
whilst the two-year-old has about half of each; therefore the cartilage
predominating over the required quantity of osseous material causes
the bones to be soft and unable to withstand the shocks of early work.
Some owners of race-horses run their two-year-olds to _find out their
weak points_. In cases where weak points are observable at that age, if
raced, they are sure to develop, and thus cripple the colt perhaps for
life, whilst if he had been allowed to lay by until of a maturer age,
in all probability this weakness would have disappeared. Again, if a
sound colt be trained and raced when two years of age, it is ten to one
that his tendons and bones are not able to stand the work, but that in
all probability he will get sore shins, splints, or perhaps some worse
disease of the legs or feet.
A horse is not able to undergo regular hunting until he is six years
old, and even then he should not be worked hard. I think all our
own countrymen know this, although they do not always bring it into
practice. The Americans know it and profit by it. A growing colt
does not make internal fat as does the adult, therefore the system
not having attained firmness, cannot bear the scraping and sweating
necessary to get him into condition for the hunting-field or for the
racecourse. If the fat is taken off a colt, his muscular development is
interfered with. In the same way prize-fighters cannot stay if trained
too young, instances of which are found in Aaron Jones and M‘Cormick,
who, although they felt well and fit, were unable to last. Colts are
forced to early maturity and worked hard when they ought to be in the
nursery, the result being that they are unable to last any time, but
become useless (except for stud purposes) before they have attained
horsehood. Early maturity means early decay.
The Americans break in their trotters, as a rule, at three years of
age. They then give them ordinary road work, in the mean time gradually
teaching them to trot in form by giving them occasionally a spurt for a
quarter of a mile or so. But they do not usually race them until they
are from five to seven years old; in fact, they do not consider a horse
to be at his best until he is from seven to nine years of age.
I will now give a few instances of famous American trotters, who lasted
well through not having been worked too young. Topgallant was foaled in
1808; when in his sixteenth year, in 1823, he trotted twelve miles, in
harness, in 38 m. In 1829, when in his twenty-second year, he trotted
four heats of four miles, against Whalebone, and won, his fastest time
being 11 m. 4 s. In 1831, when in his twenty-fourth year, he trotted
a race of three-mile heats, which was won in four heats, Topgallant
winning the second and running second in the deciding heat. A week
afterwards he won a race for three-mile heats.
Lady Blanche was foaled in 1829. She first trotted a match in 1835, and
when twenty-four years old she won a race of four heats. In 1855 she
died, during her training.
Dutchman was foaled in 1828, and when five years of age was drawing
bricks in a team. In 1836, when eight years old, he trotted, to saddle,
four miles in 10 m. 51 s. On August 1, 1839, when eleven years of age,
he trotted, to saddle, three miles in 7 m. 32½ s. In 1838, when ten
years old, he trotted Rattler for three-mile heats, winning two out
of three and the race. In 1846, when eighteen years old, Dutchman won
another race, but died in the following year.
Ajax, foaled in 1832, when sixteen years of age was matched to trot a
mare for twelve miles, and won.
Flora Temple was foaled in 1845, was broken-in when five years old,
and raced the same year. In 1859 she trotted two-mile heats against
Princess, and won in two heats, the fastest being in 4 m. 50½ s., when
fourteen years of age. In 1860, when fifteen years old, she trotted
three miles in 7 m. 33¾ s. She ran in 1861, since which date I have had
no opportunity of finding any record of her running.
Lady Thorn was foaled in 1856; she first trotted in 1864, when eight
years old, and remained upon the turf until the latter end of 1870,
when she got injured through an accident. Her best one-mile time was
accomplished in 1869, for four heats, against Goldsmith Maid, American
Girl, &c. She won three out of the four heats, her fastest time being
2 m. 18¼ s.
Goldsmith Maid was foaled in 1857, and ran wild until she was eight
years old. In 1865 she ran her first race. On September 2, 1874, when
seventeen years of age, she trotted the fastest mile on record, namely,
in 2 m. 14 s. Whether her time has since been beaten or not I am unable
to state. She is still on the trotting turf.
Dexter was foaled in 1858, was not broken-in until he was four years
old, and until then had never eaten grain of any kind. He did not
trot a race until he was six years old, and was king of the trotting
track until 1868, since which date I have no record of him. In 1867,
when nine years old, he trotted one mile in 2 m. 17¼ s., and in the
same year he won two heats against Lady Thorn, for two-mile heats, the
fastest of which was done in 4 m. 51 s.
American Girl was foaled in 1862. She appeared on the track in 1867;
and I find she was still running in 1874, when twelve years old, and
in that year did a mile in 2 m. 16¾ s., and in all probability she is
still trotting.
Dexter never trotted until he was six years old; Dutchman never trotted
until he was six, and underwent no training until he was seven years
of age; Goldsmith Maid and Lady Thorn were eight years old before they
were introduced to the trotting track.
Now having enumerated these _facts_ (taken from the celebrities of the
American trotting turf), which apply equally to hunting as to racing,
may I ask, is it common sense to gallop a colt when a yearling, to
train and race him as a two-year-old, and get him screwed and useless
except for breeding purposes when he is three or four years old, thus
doing away with a long course of excellence and utility? How many colts
ever see a race-course after they are three or four years old, whilst
those that are able to gallop at five or six years of age are looked
upon as wonders? Look at such horses as Flying Childers, Eclipse,
Matchem, Goldfinder, Gimcrack, Pot-8-os, Bay Malton, Glencoe, Bay
Middleton, St. Albans, Blair Athol, Favonius, &c. &c., who never ran
as two-year-olds. Again, look at Macgregor, who won the 2,000 guineas
in 1870; and Doncaster, who won the Derby and came in second for the
St. Leger in 1873, won the Goodwood Cup in 1874, and the Ascot Cup
and Alexandra Plate in 1875, and was sold for 14,000_l._, the highest
price ever paid for a stud horse; both these horses never ran as
two-year-olds.
On the other hand, look at The Rake, Lady Elizabeth, Queen’s Messenger,
Pall Mall, Almoner, Sir William Wallace, and a host of other horses,
who were not able to stand the shocks of training. Kingcraft, although
he won the Derby in 1870, came out badly afterwards, which is generally
attributed to his having run so much as a two-year-old, plainly showing
that however great his speed was, he was unable to withstand early
training, and thus a good horse was spoilt.
We first begin to train them as yearlings, and run them so much as
two-year-olds that many become roarers, like Prince Charlie, Belladrum,
and Liddington; or rupture their suspensory ligaments, like Student,
Crucifix, and Dundee; rupture blood-vessels, like The Rake, Hermit,
and Atlantic; whilst others fall down dead whilst at exercise, like
Orinoco and Aquilo.
Racing now-a-days is a money-making business, carried on under the
cloak of improving the breed of our horses, which in reality is quite a
secondary consideration, money-making being the chief object. I do not
say this out of spite, for I am very much attached to racing: in fact
it is, in my opinion, the sport _par excellence_ of all others. But I
must own I should like to see more attention paid to the improvement of
stock than to the accumulation of the almighty dollar. So long as we
run two-year-olds, so long will the stamina of our horses diminish, and
our two-year-olds run a few times and, as a rule, disappear for ever.
CHAPTER VI.
BREAKING TO HARNESS.
DOUBLE _VERSUS_ SINGLE HARNESS—FOUR WHEELS _VERSUS_ TWO—BREAKING
TO DOUBLE HARNESS—BREAKING TO SINGLE HARNESS—BREAKING THE CART
COLT TO HARNESS—BLINKERS—LADIES’ EYES.
CHAPTER VI.
BREAKING TO HARNESS.
Breaking to harness may be divided into two sections, one for the
well-bred horse and the other for the cart-horse.
The well-bred horse first requires to be well broken to the saddle and
well mouthed, for most carriage-horses are used for saddle purposes
as well as for driving, many gentlemen and _ladies_ also riding their
carriage-horses, whilst some hunt them as well; anyhow, the groom rides
them at exercise, so they must be able to carry as well as draw. The
cart-horse, being of a duller temperament, does not require so much
previous breaking-in before being put in harness, and a great many
which have never been first broken to the saddle will take no notice
whatever if a man jumps on their backs and rides them; but it is always
best to break them in a little to riding at first, as a good mouth is
in that way best obtained.
When breaking-in a well-bred horse to harness, that is to say, one
whose pace will be the trot and not the slow drudgery of the farm or
cart-horse, he must previously have been well mouthed and broken to the
saddle, before a set of harness is placed on him. Allow him to smell
and look at every article of harness well before you endeavour to put
it on him. Be very quiet, and take plenty of time. After having let
him inspect the collar, place it gently over his head. Some men prefer
a collar open at the withers, which can be slipped over the neck and
fastened with a buckle, but these stretch very much, do not sit firmly,
but ‘waddle,’ and thus cause sore shoulders to an animal which is not
accustomed to harness work, and whose shoulders consequently are not
hardened. For the first day or two it is as well to put on a collar
which is too big for him, and when he is actually to be put to, it may
be exchanged for one of the proper dimensions. By this means a colt
will not become alarmed, for the large collar slipping easily over his
head, he becomes used to the action by the time he is required to don
his own. The pad, crupper, and breeching must now be placed on his
back, the tail elevated, and the crupper (with a buckle on its side)
slipped under it, care being taken that no hairs are enclosed by it;
then the crupper is buckled up, the pad adjusted, and the girth drawn
up. It is as well on the first day of harnessing the colt to omit
putting on the hames and traces, for they would only knock about and
alarm him, but if you decide on putting them on, the traces must be
drawn out horizontally and firmly attached to the breeching by means
of straps or cording. It is good practice to connect the collar at
the withers loosely with the pad by means of a strap, to prevent the
collar from slipping forward to the ears when the animal’s head is
lowered. A common riding bridle should then be placed on the head, and
the colt led about for an hour. By using a common riding bridle the
colt is enabled to see everything on his back, and thus when any part
of the harness strikes him he is able to see it, and soon getting to
understand the cause, takes no further notice of it. But when a bridle
with blinkers is put on, and at every step he takes the harness strikes
him, he _then_ does not know the cause, and thus becoming terrified, it
requires some time and patience to calm him. After he has been led out
for about an hour, a driving bridle with blinkers may be placed on his
head in lieu of the riding bridle, and then he must be led about again
for twenty minutes or half-an-hour, when he should be returned to his
stables and the harness removed. You may repeat this for a short time
in the afternoon. On the following day he must be harnessed again, but
with the addition of the hames and traces, and led about with a riding
bridle, which, after a time may be exchanged for one with blinkers, the
same being repeated in the afternoon. Of course a very quiet-tempered
colt will get used to the harness in much less time, in fact some take
no notice of it at all; but with a high-spirited or nervous animal,
every precaution should be taken, and plenty of time spent over the
process.
The colt is now ready for putting to.
Some people advocate breaking-in a colt to double harness in a break
first, whilst others recommend putting him between the shafts at once.
Undoubtedly when a break can be secured, it is both safest and best for
this purpose. As to single harness, some people prefer four wheels to
two, their theory being that in a four-wheeled trap there is no weight
on the animal’s back, whilst in the two-wheel there is. If this were
the only evidence for or against four wheels _versus_ two, their theory
would be inevitable, but unfortunately for them, the four wheels have
great drawbacks which counteract the benefit incurred by placing no
weight on the animal’s back, for if the colt is restive and backs, the
hind wheels run out at right angles to the horse and driver, rendering
the vehicle uncontrollable and highly dangerous; and also when rounding
sharp corners, or in turning, the colt not being as yet handy, the hind
wheels are very likely to be caught against some obstruction, and thus
possibly overturn the conveyance. Again, during the act of turning, the
hind wheels may become locked against the fore ones. For breaking to
single harness, the two-wheeler is most certainly the best and safest,
for when rounding a sharp turn, you know exactly where you are, and
have not got to watch any hind wheels, thus taking your attention from
the colt, which, as a rule, requires all you can give him; he can also
back to his heart’s content without much danger, or at least without
one fiftieth part of that incurred with a four-wheeled vehicle.
=For breaking to double harness=, an old horse is required which is
free from vice, and well trained to start immediately the word is
given, and to stand perfectly still when required. The break having
been placed with the pole pointing in the direction in which you
intend going, the break-horse is put to on the near side, and the
colt (which should have a halter on as well as his bridle, the shank
end being tied to the tracebearers) led out. The colt is then loosely
buckled to the pole-piece, after which the trace nearest the pole is
passed over the roller bolt, the animal’s quarters are then gently
forced towards the pole, the outside trace attached, and the pole-piece
adjusted to the requisite length, then the reins are crossed and
buckled, and the driver, taking their ends, mounts the box, the old
horse receives the word of command, and the pair start without any
effort on the part of the young animal. If all this is done quietly,
quickly, but without any fuss, the colt will be put to before he knows
where he is. At starting, and for a little way along the road, a man
(commonly called the breaksman) should keep beside the colt about
opposite his shoulder, so that at any moment he can place his hand upon
the halter shank, and be ready to assist the driver, if required;
but as soon as it is evident that the colt is inclined to go quietly,
the breaksman may mount the stand behind the box, and stand there,
but must be ready at a second’s notice to jump down when his services
are thought to be needed. The break should not be out above an hour,
or the colt will be liable to get sore shoulders, but must be driven
about slowly, and when required to turn round, the breaksman must help
him by pulling the halter towards himself, whilst the driver turns
the old horse in a wide circle. During the drive the horses should be
stopped and started again several times, that the colt may get a few
lessons. For the first few days driving either up or down steep hills
must be avoided, but the work should consist in driving quietly about
roads, teaching the colt to turn round, and also turn sharp angles into
another road &c. A few days of this kind of work will enable him to be
driven anywhere, such as in crowded streets &c., but it will not do to
take him into any crush, for as yet he cannot be depended upon, and
might show fight, which, owing to the crowd, might not be successfully
baffled. It is a good plan from the commencement of putting to the
colt, on his return to the stable to bathe his shoulders, whether
they appear tender or not, with a cooling astringent, such as the
lead lotion, for it often happens that, although you cannot see or
feel anything amiss, they in reality are slightly tender, and on the
following day he objects to the collar. Many a horse has been made a
‘jibber’ for life through the want of this precaution. When the colt
has become tolerably handy in the break, he may be put between the
shafts, which in all its material points will be the same as that
described below.
=In breaking a colt to single harness=, he must first have a couple of
days’ tuition to get him used to his harness, as before mentioned under
the head of breaking-in to double harness. The harness is best when so
constructed that the tugs open from above, allowing the shafts to drop
into them, and every man who is in the habit of breaking young horses
to single harness should have a set so made. It is not difficult to
place the shafts quietly through the ordinary tugs, but when the horse
is being loosed they are very apt to strike the animal and frighten
him; thus in many instances teaching him, to his dying day, to _rush_
out of the shafts. The two-wheeled break should be strong and high
on the wheels, that the splinter-bar may be high, and so prevent the
animal kicking over it, should he be so inclined. The colt, wearing a
halter besides his bridle, is brought out, the shafts placed gently in
the tugs, and the harness fastened in the ordinary manner, as well as a
kicking-strap over his quarters buckled to the shafts. The driver now
mounts to his seat with the reins, whilst a man at the colt’s head pats
and coaxes him forwards, when, on feeling himself confined between the
shafts, he will probably plunge, rear, or possibly kick. But whatever
he does, he must be reassured and calmed by kindness, the man at his
head giving him such little assistance as he is enabled to, such as
pushing against the shaft or pulling it towards himself, according to
circumstances; he must also run alongside of him for some time, but
when the animal settles down and gets warmed to his work, he may either
jump into the break or stand on the step; in either case he must be in
readiness to leap down and help when required. The colt should not be
driven more than an hour, and when required to turn the man must seize
the halter and draw the colt round towards himself, at the same time
pulling the shaft on that side towards himself; this must be continued
for some days, until the colt has learnt to push against the shaft
himself. Of course, when the animal is turned on the opposite side, the
assistance must be on that side also.
If the colt jibs, it is best to sit still and coax him a little, and
when he is tired of standing he will move on; but there are some
animals which will not do so, and then it must rest with the judgment
of the driver, with his knowledge of the colt’s temper, whether he
use the whip and risk a kick or two, and perhaps a rear, or not. A
colt being broken to single harness should not be driven down anything
like a steep hill until he is handy at other things, for this is the
most difficult lesson of all for him to learn, as he then has the full
weight of the vehicle pushing against him, and it takes a long time
before he will learn to keep himself straight in the breeching, but
will push sideways and run into the opposite bank, if the man at his
head does not take care and help him.
The bit I prefer to all others when breaking a colt to single harness
is the smooth ring snaffle, with the reins passed through both rings on
either side, thus converting it into an ordinary snaffle; but if you
buckle them to the separate ring on either side, the bit becomes too
severe, pinches the jaw, and causes so much pain that the animal fights
with it, and becoming restive, pays no attention to what you wish to
teach him.
=Breaking the cart colt to harness= requires a very different method
of operation to that used for the purpose with the lighter breeds.
Some farmers put them in a team at the plough as soon as they have been
taught to lead; but I do not consider this happy-go-lucky style at all
a good one. They are not likely to have good mouths, and the heavy
strain of this continual dead pulling work makes them slow, is inclined
to make them downhearted, and whether they work in the furrow or on the
surface, it causes them to move unequally with their fellow, and so
is very apt to make them jerky in their style of going; and moreover,
being young, with their bones and tendons undeveloped, they are very
liable to ‘shoulder slip,’ as it is commonly called.
The colt should be led about the roads with the breaking-in tackling
on, as stated in Chapter II., until he is used to passing objects,
vehicles, &c. He should also be driven in reins, and then ridden a few
times. After he has got tolerably quiet at this kind of work, some cart
harness may be put on him, and he is then to be led or driven about for
a couple of days without blinkers, after which he may be driven, with
the addition of a cart bridle, with blinkers, when he will be ready
for a few lessons in pulling. Three or four rails or planks should be
tied together, and attached by chains to the harness, of course having
a stretcher or cross-bar between them. The colt is then to be led
about a field with them, and after he is found to drag them tolerably
quietly he should be driven instead of being led. You may keep him at
this work for an hour, after which he must be unharnessed, and his
shoulders bathed with an astringent cooling lotion. This should be
repeated on the following day, and after that the weight of rails or
timber may be gradually increased; of course this hour’s work daily is
not sufficient, so besides this he may be driven about the roads in his
harness for an hour or two as well, or ridden. When he has drawn light
loads of timber for a week, he should be harnessed to an empty cart and
taken on to a road; he may be taken two or three miles—of course at a
walk—and then turned. When on his homeward journey he may be stopped
and started again occasionally, as well as being turned round every now
and then. A week of this work will make him tolerably handy, and then
he should be taught to back the empty cart; after having learnt which
he may be made to draw small loads, and so commence to earn his living.
It is a great mistake to put cart colts to draw heavy loads at first,
for they are much more liable to jib if not properly broken-in than
well-bred ones; and when once a cart colt has jibbed it is the most
difficult thing in the world to cure him of that propensity.
As far as I am concerned I much prefer breaking-in colts, whether for
heavy or light draught, without blinkers, for it is much easier and
safer done. Who has not seen a horse perfectly quiet to ride but having
a nervous temperament, put in harness, half-blinded by the blinkers,
carrying his ears erect but continually keeping them in motion, turning
them forwards, backwards, and to the side in quick succession, his
eyes having a frightened, scared expression, whilst his whole body
indicates fear of something not understood? Put that same horse in
harness _without_ blinkers, thus allowing him to see what is going on,
and he will be perfectly quiet and happy.
During the year 1874 light carts were debited with 572 casualties,
including both killed and wounded, in London alone; whilst in 1875
the number was 741, being an increase of 169. The police report that
reckless driving is on the decrease. This great discrepancy in killed
and wounded during the years 1874 and 1875 is chiefly owing to the fact
that tradesmen’s carts are left standing in the streets whilst the
drivers are delivering their masters’ goods. The horses remain still
so long as there is nothing to disturb their equanimity, but should a
regimental band, a fire-engine, &c., pass by, away they go on their
headlong career until some passing wheel or lamp-post overthrows them.
Now, if these horses were accustomed to go without blinkers and allowed
to have the free use of their eyes as nature intended them, they
would in nine cases out of ten not run away. If some object suddenly
fell with a crash near them they would certainly start and move a
few paces (and so would you), but having the free use of their eyes
they would soon see the cause of their fright, and then understanding
that no harm was intended them would become still again. Again, if a
band or fire-engine is coming towards them, either from in front or
from behind, they are enabled to see it, scrutinise it, and become
acquainted with its nature before it nears them; but if the animal
wears blinkers he hears a noise, elevates his head, moves his ears in
all directions (for being unable to see he makes as much use of his
sense of hearing as possible), becomes fidgety, and when the object of
his fears _suddenly_ comes within range of his diminished vision, he
is very naturally terrified, and the consequence is that he runs away
to avoid it. I am certain that if horses were driven without blinkers
such accidents caused by running away would be greatly diminished; it
is only _fashion_, that bugbear of society, that causes blinkers to be
an inseparable part of harness. I am sure a horse looks better without
them if people would only accustom themselves to the sight. Why hide
a horse’s eyes, the most expressive feature in his head? What would a
lady be if her eyes were put out or hidden from view, and unable to use
them as some know only too well how to do.
In concluding this chapter let me remind my readers that bearing-reins
are both useless and cruel, the former because the horse cannot pull
to the full extent of his power when his head is stuck up in the air,
and that all attempts to alter the natural conformation of his head and
neck are futile; the latter because the head and neck being kept in an
unnatural and constrained position causes the animal excessive pain.
CHAPTER VII.
THE BAROUCHE, LANDAU, AND BROUGHAM HORSE.
THE VICTORIA, T-CART, LIGHT WAGGONETTE, OR DOG-CART HORSE—THE
OMNIBUS AND VAN HORSE—THE CART-HORSE—THE LINCOLNSHIRE DRAY-HORSE
—THE SUFFOLK PUNCH—THE CLYDESDALE—SCOTCH BREEDERS.
CHAPTER VII.
THE BAROUCHE, LANDAU, AND BROUGHAM HORSE.
The barouche is always drawn by a pair of horses; the landau and
brougham are also pair-horse carriages, except when especially built
for single harness. I shall first suppose all three of these carriages
are intended to be drawn by pairs of horses. The horses required for
this work are chiefly bred in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Shropshire,
being, as a rule, a cross between cart-mares—especially if of the
Cleveland breed, now rarely met with—and the thoroughbred horse. A good
horse of this sort should be lengthy, and yet have a tolerably short
back; should have oblique and muscular shoulders, long, straight, and
strong quarters, besides having good knee and hock action; the head
should be neat, and the neck gracefully curved and well set on. He
should be deep in the girth, have a good round barrel well ribbed up,
and should not be less than 16 hands high. For single harness, in a
landau or brougham, the horse must have all the above points, but must
besides be a heavier and larger built animal; in height he must not be
less than 16 hands, nor much above that standard, for a horse which
stands 16 hands 3 inches, or 17 hands high, is generally long-legged,
long-backed, and weak in comparison to his height.
=For the Victoria, T-cart, light Waggonette, Phaeton, or Dog-cart=, a
better bred horse is required; he may be nearly or quite thoroughbred,
but must be of good conformation, and have good and moderately high
action; in height he may be 15 hands 3 inches, or 16 hands. Norfolk
supplies the best horses for this kind of work, they being strong,
handsome animals, high-actioned, and fast trotters, as far as fast
trotting and high action are compatible with speed.
=The Omnibus and Van-horse= is rather a nondescript sort of animal,
being something between a carriage-horse and that used for heavy
draught. There is no distinct breed of this class of horse; but a great
many of our omnibus-horses come from abroad, especially from Normandy,
whilst the van-horses are chiefly chance gets, picked up here and there
wherever found. Colts got by a carthorse out of a half-bred mare are
very apt to develop into van-horses. An omnibus-horse should be capable
of drawing a heavy load at a speed of about 8 miles an hour, whilst a
van-horse should do about 6 miles in the same time.
=The Cart-horse.=—The Lincolnshire dray-horse is a large and
magnificent animal, being the produce of a cross between the old
English black and the Flemish horse, but being very slow, he has for
some time been superseded by the Suffolk and Clydesdale horses. In his
day he was in great request for brewers’ drays, but owing to his want
of speed he has now been almost discarded. The Lincolnshire dray-horse
is now used for the production of carriage-horses by thoroughbred
sires, and also some breeders of Clydesdale horses in Scotland are
rather fond of crossing them with the Clydesdale, and selling the
produce as thoroughbred Clydesdales, thus realising a thoroughbred
price for a crossbred animal.
=The Suffolk Cart-horse= is chestnut, varying from a sorrel to a
moderately dark chestnut colour; he is rather long in the back,
deep-chested, full in the flank, and deep-bellied, having clean and
wiry legs and a full crest. He is often seen in the South of England,
but the Clydesdale is fast superseding him. Taking into consideration
his make and shape, I do not see why the mares should not produce good
carriage-horses, if mated with suitable thoroughbred sires.
=The Clydesdale= certainly is at present the king of the cart-horses
in Great Britain; he is generally of a bay, brown, or black colour,
the bay and brown predominating. He has a neat well-bred head, a good
neck, deep girth and round middlepiece, is short in the leg, the bone
of which is remarkably large, and the fetlock covered with long hair.
Much fashion depends upon the growth of hair at the fetlock; formerly
it was curly, but now a Clydesdale will not pass muster unless he has
about six inches of quite straight hair on these parts. Great prices
are given for these horses, even when yearlings; when thoroughbred
or _supposed_ to be so, some good sires being let for the season at
500_l._ In Scotland they are all the rage, great care being taken with
their breeding, although occasionally a breeder does sell a crossbred
one as a thoroughbred, thus putting a nice little sum into his pocket.
=Note.=—Since the above was written, a Clydesdale Society has been
formed, and a Clydesdale Stud Book is being compiled.
_Spottiswoode & Co., Printers, New-street Square, London._
Transcriber’s Note
Inconsistent hyphenation has been retained: break-in/break in,
carthorse/cart-horse, flying-trot/flying trot, headstall/head-stall
meantime/mean time, mouthpiece/mouth-piece, racecourse/race-course
rocking-horses/rocking horses.
The notation =Text= denotes the use of small capitals in the original.