In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 235 



find its good points will depend upon their adaptation 

 to the particular kinds of work. The head in all the 

 breeds should be fine, broad between the eyes, and 

 tapering towards the nose. The jaws should be clean, 

 and not possessing too much flesh, the eyes full and 

 sparkling, clear and lively, the nostrils rather large and 

 open, and of a clear red colour, the space underneath the 

 jaws should be roomy and free from any glandular 

 swelling or lumps, the ears should be well set into the 

 head and pricked forward, but not large, which is 

 generally a sign of a soft-hearted horse. The neck should 

 be well curved, lightly formed rather than muscular, and 

 considerably arched beneath at its union with the jaws. 

 The shoulders should be high and sloping, the withers 

 should be of a medium breadth, and not too high, as it 

 will be found that high- withered horses are generally 

 narrow in the chest, which is always a bad point in not 

 allowing sufficient scope for the lungs to play, and is 

 never so pleasing to the eye as a broad expanded front. 

 Still some horses have proved both hardy and good in 

 point of action with narrow chests, but these have had 

 depth to compensate for the want of breadth. However, 

 there is a medium in the chest of a horse ; great width 

 is generally accompanied with want of action, and such 

 horses are better used for cart or farm purposes. The 

 back should be short and somewhat arched across the 

 loms, the chest deep and the ribs expanding, especially 

 between the last rib and the hip, so as not to admit of a 

 hollow between them. This is called well ribbed up ; a 

 loose-ribbed horse is always unpleasant to the eye if it is 

 not a physical defect ; no feeding will fill up a horse in 



