SADDLE HOUSES ON THE RANGE 349 



room, a short neck, clear kindly eyes with plenty of 

 room between them, small well-set ears, broad open nos- 

 trils, withers not more than an inch higher than the 

 hips, hips well-rounded, not sloping down like the steep 

 roof of a house, tail carried high and coming out of 

 the body well up on his hips, hoofs solid and well shaped 

 and not taking more than a number one shoe, weighing 

 fat between 875 and 1,000 pounds, not pigeon-toed for 

 such horses stumble any color he happens to be, with 

 a good flat-footed walk, a square trot and a free easy 

 lope. He should be not more than eight nor less than 

 four years old, and his back should be free from old 

 saddle sores, bare scars, or "set fasts." Do not let the 

 seller assure you that such places are all healed up and 

 will never be any trouble, for they will. A scar on a 

 horse's back where the hair is gone will always be liable 

 to break out into a sore place any time the conditions 

 are just right. 



I do not say that a horse without some of these points 

 will not be a useful animal but these are the things 

 which the young buyer wants to look for and the more 

 he gets of them the better horse he will have. 



In the age matter, no horse can be well broken to range 

 work before he is four years old, and every year after 

 he passes eight is just that much gone from his best 

 age. So by getting between these one will secure the 

 best there is in his horses. Look also to his tongue, lest 

 at some time a heavy bit has cut it half in two, so he 

 feeds with difficulty. 



Gaits. Some men will pay fancy prices for pacing 

 horses because on a smooth road they will shuffle along 

 at a good rate and carry their riders easier than at a 

 trot. On a rough trail, however, or over a broken coun- 



