44 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



" what makes him stand in that awkward posi- 

 tion, with one leg pointed forward?" — "Oh," 

 replied the seller, " that is merely in consequence 

 of the shortness of his neck ; he could not reach 

 his grass easily otherwise: many of the Arabs 

 have short necks." The innocent victim, who 

 was a native of the Scilly Isles, appeared quite 

 satisfied with this answer, and giving another 

 look at the neck, said, it appeared to his eye 

 of very good proportion, and concluded the bar- 

 gain. This was one of the worst kind of the 

 long, horizontal, flat-soled feet.* 



* I have myself had two horses with perfect feet ; one had 

 been shod for two or three years ; the other was a colt, and 

 never shod. The feet of both these were small, but very wide 

 at the heels ; the horn was of the proper depth, neither too high 

 nor too low at this part, and of that fine greyish black, Oxford- 

 mixture colour. Neither of them without shoes, over hard 

 ground, moderately ridden, ever went tender or made a false 

 step. 



Some persons, who have paid dearly for purchasing a horse 

 with contracted heels, instead of running into the proper oppo- 

 site, one with open heels, search for nothing but a large spread- 

 ing foot ; hence their second bargain is nearly as bad as their 

 first ; for a large spreading foot is almost always a weak and a 

 flat foot : moreover, a large spreading foot is most unfavourable 

 for speed. 



