432 CHAPTER 60. 



lean, unencumbered with flesh, finely chiselled, and terminates rather 

 wide at the nostrils. The base of the skull is wide. The distance from 

 the eye to the angle of the jaw is great. It is also wide under the jaw, 

 or as it is sometimes called in the jowl or channel, in order to allow ample 

 room for the larynx and respiratory passages. In high-bred horses wo 

 often have a prominence in the forehead with a sinking in just above the 

 nose. 



Fig. 1 represents a very good, fig. la a common, and fig. Ib a very 

 coarse underbred head. (Plates 32 and 33.) 



885. The Forehead. 



Whilst the head should be small, the Forehead and base of the skull 

 should be not only relatively, but absolutely broad, in order to give due 

 capacity to the cavity containing the brain and great nervous centres. 

 Energy and resolution largely depend on the development of the nervous 

 system. Pluck and endurance will assuredly be wanting if the nervous 

 power is deficient. 



It is rather a curious fact that small well-bred heads are actually wider 

 between the eyes than large coarse underbred heads ; or in other words 

 the brain region is larger in high than in underbred animals. Figs. 2 

 and 3 represents the forehead of a well-bred horse, fig. 2a that of a 

 common animal, and figs. 16 and 26 that of very coarse brutes. 



886. The Nose. 



In fig. 1, and 3 and 36, a veiy good nose is shown. A projecting or 

 Roman nose (figs. Ib and 26) usually indicates want of breeding. A 

 tendency however towards that form in a rather long, lean, and otherwise 

 well-bred head is occasionaly found even among some of our best 

 thorough-bred stock. 



887. Nostrils and Muzzle. 



Breeding or its absence is very plainly indicated in the Muzzle. In 

 the well-bred horse every part is boldly marked. The borders of the 

 nostrils are scanty and end abruptly. The Nostrils themselves should be 

 large and wide and unencumbered with hairs in the entrances, and they 

 should occupy nearly the whole of the lower part of the facial structure 

 (Plate 32,. fig. 1, and Plate 33, fig. 3). The horse, unlike man, who 

 breathes chiefly through his .mouth, breathes entirely through his nostrils. 

 Hence in all horses required for fast work and endurance, well-developed 

 large nostrils are of great importance. 



In the low-bred horse the entrances of the nostrils are contracted by 

 the overlapping of their borders, and the entrances are small and beset 

 with long bristly hairs. Plate 32, figs. 16 and 26. 



