38 



examining his ears, neck, shoulders, legs, and 

 feet. Whenever a person v/ell skilled in horses 

 finds those points meet his ideas, he takes it 

 for granted that every other part will corre- 

 spond. The figure of a horse thus formed is 

 by far the best, for various reasons. His fore- 

 hand being well up, shews that he has blood 

 and spirit, for there is nothing demonstrates so 

 strongly the sluggishness of the animal as a 

 drooping, heavy, and low forehand, and it is a 

 technical expresson amongst dealers that such 

 a horse carries his ends well; that is, his head, 

 forehand, and tail. The forehand, therefore, 

 must be well observed by those who buy horses, 

 and this, with the bending well of the knees 

 and pastern joints, greatly determines the 

 goodness of the animal. Those who have ob- 

 served dealers when they wish to shew their 

 horses to advantage, may have seen that they 

 always shew them with the fore feet standing 

 on rising ground, and they pinch him tight at 

 the mouth with the bit, v/hich rouzes his spi- 

 rits, if he have any, and makes him throw his 

 head lofty ; besides, they whip their horses 

 into this attitude before they are shewn to pur- 

 chasers, and they stand in this position, imme- 



