Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-12
CITY DRIVING HORSES.
Different Glasses at Present Demanded In
the Fashionable Market,

Different Glasses at Present Demanded In
the Fashionable Market.
The market of today plainly recog-
nizcs these classes: The city or town
horse for shopping or calling or the
theater; tie park horse for snowy pleas
ure riding i'll park and boulevard, and
the road horse for work on country roads
before cart, mail phaeton, break or drag
A town horse for brougham, victoria,
landau or Berlin coach should above all
things possess substance, finish and
style. Pace is not needed, for ordinarily
these horses are driven slowly. They
should be able to go at the rate of eight
miles an hour If required, but rarely are
they called on to do it. Five to six
miles an hour is about the average pace
OF calling or shopping vehicles. High
stepping is required, but excessive action
is not desirable, for the work is almost
entirely over stones, and unless the ac-
tion be very nicely poised and balanced
the pounding will be detrimental But
the feet must be picked up with snap
and hooks and knees must play in at
tractive fashion. A low and loggy gait
is not permissible even in a town horse
which spends good part of his time
standing still i'll front of store or man
sion. On this account, however, he
must be a good locker when standing,
possessing enough size and substance to
fit the vehicle and enough carriage and
finish to attract attention and comport
with the elegance of the appointments.
The park horse, on the contrary, is
distinctly show horse in sction. Here
we must have bold style and flash action
above all else. Even defects in confor-
nation, such as a hollow back or plain
quarters, may be overlooked if the horse
can get himself up and go on air. He
must make a show whenever going In
deed park riding in our cities may be
called "the passing show" The pole
chains must be jingled merrily, knees
must be dashed to tho chin and hooks
well f1exed. Pace is not required here.
Those who affect this style of driving
are the observed of all observers and do
not care to pass too quickly from the
sight of the crowd.
The park horse should be able to trot
at the rate of eight or ten miles an hour,
but that pace will not often be asked of
him, and then only for short distance
Park driving is ordinarily done at the
rate of six miles an hour, and a faster
gait scarcely COMFORTS with the excess
i've action that is desired or the dignity
which should attend family airing
Of course if the park horse be perfect in
conformation and handsome in finish as
well as fash in action he is all the more
valuable, but the highest steppers will
frequently be found bit down in the
back.
The road horse for cart, mail phaeton,
break Or coach must have sufficient sub
stance and shapeliness and bold, true
action, but neither the high finish of
the town horse nor the excessive action
of the park horse is absolutely neces
sary. He must have pace, however. A
road horse is going somewhere. He has
distance before him and weight behind
him, and hence he must have as much
substance and strength as the town and
park horse and more pace. A road horse
should go along at the ratio of 10 to IL
miles an hour, and when called on to
go homo in Il hurry zeal good horse
should be able to cover ii miles in an
hour. But this is far from the speed of
the American light roadster to the piano
box road wagon. 1t is the difference be-
tween a 2 80 gait and a minute gait
These distinctions i'll the use of the
high stepping horse have never been
sharply set forth in prize list until the
appearance Of the list for tho 1895 Phil
adelphia horse show, and much credit
is due this association for its clearing of
the atmosphere in this direction. We
quote the conditions for "horses in har-
ness:
Harness horses must be practically sound |
and will be judged by their adaptibility to the |
purposes and vehicles specified in the several
classes.
In classes for horses suitable for road work.
pace, action (which should be all around |
bold, straight and truel, as well as substance
and bone, will be specially considered. |
In the park classes quality, style, carriage |
and action will be specially considered. |
In classes for horses suitable for town car |
riages conformation, substance and carriage,
whether moving or standing, will be specially |
considered. |
Horses may be entered in any of the harness |
classes for which they are eligible under the |
conditions as to height, and while many may |
be suitable for both park, road and town /
work it is suggested that exhibitors will do /
well to consider carefully the purposes to |
which their horses are best adapted and enter |
them accordingly.
Breeders Gazette.