426 FARM HORSES SUFFOLK PUNCHES 



with a star on the forehead, or a thin * reach,' ' blaze/ or 'shine ' 

 down the face. The flaxen mane and tail prevalent about the 

 middle of the eighteenth century, although rare, are usually 

 seen on the bright chestnut. The red, which is almost 

 certain to be a whole colour (also on mane and tail) with- 

 out variation in shade, is also very popular. The light variety 

 the cherry red is said to come of a taint of bay 

 origin. The golden a beautiful colour, akin to the bright 

 chestnut is not infrequently associated with a white hind 

 heel. The lemon or 'yellow' is a very light golden shade. 

 The light mealy chestnut is universally condemned as 

 indicative of a weak constitution, soft legs, and a slow phleg- 

 matic temperament. The body is dull, the flanks and under- 

 line a mottled ash colour, gradually shading off to a dirty 

 white at the extremities, which are usually covered with soft 

 hair of the same hue. The dark chestnut prevalent in the 

 nineteenth century is in favour with some breeders ; but it is 

 mostly a changing colour, varying with the season from 

 almost black to a dark cherry-red, and, although a hardy 

 colour, is not in favour the dull, dark variety being almost 

 as unpopular as the mealy chestnut. Bay, which is rarely 

 seen, occurs in strains which have a stain in the pedigree. 

 Sorrel was the old name for chestnut. Black, white, grey, 

 or dun is never mentioned among Suffolk horse colours. 



" Quality, indicated by a thin skin and soft hair tightly 

 fitted, especially over the bones and joints of the legs, has 

 long been a conspicuous feature of the breed. 



" Form. The head of the Suffolk has varied considerably 

 in type. Perhaps the big, bold head, long and thin, is the 

 best, but many of the most famous ancestors of the breed 

 inclined to the ' foreign ' or Flemish type, showing a short 

 wide head, thick at the chop, the eyes small and slanting 

 downwards, and the ears short, set on low and back towards 

 the neck so as to be barely seen. The neck is strong, rather 

 short and muscular (indicating constitution), deep in the 

 collar, with a fine silky mane on an arched crest, and tapers 

 gracefully towards the setting on of the head. A straight 

 ' ewe neck ' is rare and very defective. The excessively 

 muscular development in certain strains of blood is usually 

 associated with a hollow back. The shoulder is muscular, 

 well thrown back at the top, giving the modern comely appear- 

 ance and smart step to the best horses. A well-rounded rib, 

 deep all the way from shoulder to flank, is a sine qua non with 

 a Suffolk horse, and so is a graceful outline of back, loin, and 

 hind quarters. The hind quarters are wide and heavy. The 

 rump, may be round, almost circular, from the top of the 



