OF FARRIERY. 



470 



foot. As the strong and upriglit foot is likely 

 to become contracted, so is this subject to a 

 disease called fleshy soles ; indeed, in the 

 former, the sole is concave ; but, in the latter, 

 it is flat, on which account, the two require 

 different modes of shoeing. 



The body, or carcass, may be subdivided 

 into the chest, belly, and loins. So far as 

 regards the constitution of the Horse, his 

 stamina, or his bottom, no part is of more con- 

 sequence than the chest ; but like that of many 

 other parts, no particular construction of it is 

 the best for all kinds of Horses. That of the 

 cart-horse should be circular, broad in the 

 bosom, and large in the girth ; that of the 

 thorough-bred, more circumscribed, but not 

 flat-sided, very deep, and also extensive in the 

 girth ; so that the two differ more in width 

 than in depth. A full and prominent bosom 

 is a fine point ; and the ribs should stand out 

 with suflScient curve to afford space enough 

 within ; for which reason some prefer a thick- 

 ish shoulder, if it be an oblique one ; and 

 another advantage accompanying such forma- 

 tion is, that we have something substantial 

 between our legs when mounted, a property, 

 most certainly, every Horse ought to possess. 

 A narrow-carcassed Horse is always to be 

 avoided ; he is commonly an indiff'erent feeder. 

 If we expect durability from a Horse, the 

 barrel should be round, and capacious enough 

 to give room for the heart and lungs to play. 

 This organization is essential to those ani- 

 mals from whom you expect daily hard work. 

 Those opposed to this form, are generally 

 of weak constitution, though they may give 

 satisfaction enough to those riders who merely 

 use them for summer recreation. They are 

 generally what is termed trashy, parting with 

 their food too quickly, and perfectly incom- 



petent to perform any great labour, or con- 

 tinued hard work 



The back should be perfectly straight ; a 

 hollow back is a sign of want of strength ; but 

 it is often extremely pleasant to the rider. A 

 roach back, the reverse of a hollow back, is 

 by no means handsome, though some ar^-ue 

 that Horses having such are stronger : one 

 objection to it is, that it is apt to chafe from 

 the saddle. The loins are a point that we 

 should always be nice about. A hollow back 

 and a narrow loin are generally indicative of 

 natural weakness ; but the lauer is far more 

 exceptionable than the former : a Hor.se so 

 formed can seldom carry much weight, soon 

 knocks up, and often proves a bad feeder : his 

 constant hollowness in the flank, and his lank 

 appearance altogether, after a day's hunting, 

 demonstrate how incapable he is of bearing 

 the exertions required of him. 



The tail, in regard to the manner in which 

 it is set on, is not to be overlooked : a Horse 

 that carries two good ends, (of which the head 

 forms one, and the tail the other,) always 

 looks grand and showy. Above all others, 

 the charger should possess this point in per- 

 fection, to coincide with the grandeur of his 

 carriage in the ostentations parade of a field- 

 day. The tail, in most Horses, should form, 

 when elevated, a straight line, or nearly so, 

 with the back ; a gentle declivity of the 

 croup, however, from the summit of the rump, 

 denotes the blook-like quarter, and adds much 

 grace to this part in the thorough-bred Horse. 

 Should this line, however, decline very much, 

 the Horse is said to be droop-arsed, and the 

 quarters lose much of their beauty as well as 

 their natural power. Nothing is so ugly, in a 

 full-quartered Horse, as to see the tail set on 

 low down, and issuing abruptly from the 



