COLOUR. 481 



that rarely knows an ailment, except that the feet are small and disposed to 

 contraction, and the horse is occasionally of a hot and unmanageable temper. 



Of the bays, there are many varieties, and they include the very best of our 

 horses of every description. The bright yellow bay, although very beautiful, 

 and especially if his mane and tail are black, is the least valuable the 

 lightness of his colour seems to give him some tenderness of constitution. The 

 pure bay, with no white about him, and black from the knees and hocks to the 

 feet, is the most desirable of all. He has generally a good constitution, and 

 good feet ; and, if his conformation is not faulty, will turn out a valuable horse 

 for almost every purpose. 



The bay- brown has not always so much show and action, but, generally, 

 more strength and endurance, and usefulness. He has greater substance than the 

 lighter bay, and more depth of leg ; and, if he had the same degree of breeding, 

 he would be as handsome, and more valuable. 



When, however, we arrive at the browns, it is necessary to examine the 

 degree of breeding. This colour is not so fashionable, and therefore these horses 

 have been considerably neglected. There are many good ones, and those that 

 are good are valuable ; others, probably, are only a half or a quarter bred, and 

 therefore comparatively coarse, yet useful for the saddle and for harness for 

 slow work, and, occasionally, for that which is more rapid. 



The black brown is generally more neglected so far as its breed is concerned, 

 and should be more carefully examined. It is valuable if it retains the 

 goodness of constitution of the brown and bay-brown. 



Of the black, greater care has been taken. The heavy black of Lincolnshire 

 and the midland counties is a noble animal, and would be almost beyond price 

 if he could be rendered more active. The next in size constitute the majority of 

 our waggon-horses, and perhaps our best ; and, on a smaller breed, and to 

 the improvement of which much attention has been devoted, many of our 

 cavalry are mounted. A few black thorough-bred horses and black hunters 

 are occasionally seen, but the improvement of horses of this colour has not been 

 studied, except for the purposes that have been mentioned. Their peculiar 

 high action, while not objectionable for draught, and desirable for the parade, 

 would be unbearable in the roadster. Black horses have been said to be more 

 subject to vice, disease, and blindness, than those of any other colour. This 

 charge is not true to its full extent ; but there certainly are a great many worth- 

 less black horses in every part of the country. 



After all, there is an old saying, that a good horse cannot be of a bad colour ; 

 and that it is far more necessary to attend to the conformation and points of the 

 animal than to his colour. The foregoing observations, however, although they 

 admit of many exceptions, may be useful in guiding to the judicious purchase 

 of the horse. 



SURFEIT. 



Large pimples or eruptions often appear suddenly on the skin of the horse, and 

 especially in the spring of the year. Occasionally they disappear as quickly as they 

 carne. Sometimes they seem to be attended with great itching, but, at other 

 times, the annoyance is comparatively little. When these eruptions have re- 

 mained a few days, the cuticle frequently peels off, and a small scaly spot 

 rarely a sore is left. This is called a surfeit, from its resemblance to some 

 eruptions on the skin of the human being when indigestible or unwholesome 

 food has been taken. The surfeit is, in some cases, confined to the neck ; but 

 it oftener spreads over the sides, back, loins, and quarters. The cause is enve- 

 loped in some obscurity. The disease most frequently appears when the skin 

 is irritable during or after the process of moulting, or when it sympathises 



1 1 



