HORSES. 349 



ful figure, fine action, and the greatest speed, can perform, 

 daily, during the year the greatest number of miles, and keep 

 in good working condition, all other things being equal, is the 

 best horse. A horse should weigh nearly one thousand pounds, 

 have small ears, well cut and turned head and neck, to give him 

 elegance of appearance, high and thin shoulders that he shall 

 not stumble ; large, round, deep chest, and belly that will crave 

 and digest an abundant quantity of food to supply the loss of 

 bone and muscle by vigorous action. He should have wide, 

 strong, but thin limbs, that he may have sufficient action and 

 power, without cocking his knees and ankles or spraining his 

 gambrels. Nothing is less desirable than a small eater — you 

 would of course have a small worker. He should have a small, 

 quick gait, as long strides require more power for the distance 

 than short ones, and carry the carriage with less ease to both 

 rider and horse. All his movements should be easy and elegant, 

 without the use of the check or the art of the driver. Artificial 

 horses, like artificial men, are soon found out, and rate for what 

 they are worth. He should neither interfere nor overreach, but 

 both can be remedied to a considerable extent by shoeing. But 

 a horse that hits badly forward is almost useless as a roadster. 

 A slight slope to the rump changes the angle of the hind legs 

 so a horse can throw the hind feet further forward at each 

 stride, and a short back and high shoulders not only give more 

 strength, but produce the same effect for the forefeet, and pre- 

 vent stumbling. A round body gives more room for lungs and 

 stomach and shows flesh more readily, and appears better while 

 thin. He should have a sound, vigorous, healthy, active, strong 

 constitution. About the external marks of a good constitution 

 there may be some difference of opinion. For, like man, the 

 breeds are so mixed that we sometimes get the external marks 

 of one breed, and the internal constitution of another. But it 

 is pretty generally admitted that the usual external marks of a 

 good constitution are, large thin legs, deep, round chest and 

 belly, course, heavy mane and tail, black legs and hoofs ; and 

 when we find a light sorrel, with white or light thin mane and 

 tail, fine hair, small, delicate legs, light colored hoofs, we usually 

 have a horse that takes cold easy, and has a thin skin that the 

 flies annoy, and that galls badly, and that has a thin shell to his 



