116 HISTORY OF THE 



His broad, angular forehead, the tapering of the 

 face from the forehead to the muzzle, his brilliant 

 and rather prominent eye, and his expanded and 

 flexible nostrils, give him that beautiful and in- 

 telligent expression of countenance, which no other 

 breed (with the exception perhaps of a few of Eas- 

 tern countries) possesses. His throat should be 

 clean, with a good wide space between the jaw- 

 bones, — which should be thin, but not extend too 

 high towards the onset. His neck should be mus- 

 cular, rather long than otherwise, wide, but not 

 too high crested. What is termed a loose neck in 

 a race-horse, has been by many considered as 

 favorable to speed, the head being as it were the 

 helm by which he guides his motions in the race ; 

 but we consider a good mouth, to be of much • 

 greater service in this respect. 



The shoulders being the chief moving levers of 

 the horse, the points on which his action in a great 

 measure depends demand our utmost attention. 

 We find they vary in form more than any other 

 part of the horse's frame, and it is difficult to dis- 

 criminate between the theories of the numerous 

 writers who have laid down the law, as to the most 

 correct formation of these limbs. While those of 

 Flying Childers rose very high and fine towards 

 the withers, on the other hand a firkin of butter 

 is said to have rested on the withers of EcHpse, when 

 in covering condition ; and yet each of these match- 



