892 PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. Part III. 



similar line is sometimes seen in the bay. Dun horses do not appear to be at all influenced in their quali- 

 ties by their color, or rather, no criteria are offered by it, for there are good, bad, and indifferent in all 

 the varieties of shade. The sorrel is a variety of the chestnut, but not a favorite one. White, as a native 

 color, is not in much estimation, neither is it verv common, for many horses are white only through age, 

 as all light-grey, and flea-bitten horses become so. Black is a very usual color, and in the large heavy 

 northern breed, it seems to be an original tint ; and, perhaps it is to this their goodness may be attributed, 

 for, among the lighter breeds, there are more indifferent black horses than of any other color. The 

 tempers of black horses are commonly in tho extreme, either sluggish to stupidity, or fiery to excess. The 

 color itself admits of many shades; but a perfect black horse is more unusual than it is generally thought 

 to be : a star in the forehead is common to relieve the ebon hue ; and in the absence of that, a few white 

 hairs on the breast frequently interrupts the uniformity. It is perhaps on this principle that black horses 

 have white legs so often as they do. 



5627. The compound colors may be considered as those in which the hairs are compounded, but not 

 the colors themselves; otherwise the bay, the chestnut, brown, &c. might be considered as compounded 

 colors. The roan is a mixture of red and white : its varieties are the common, the red, and the dark. 

 All the roans are esteemed. Grey admits of a great number of shades and varieties, but all are com- 

 pounded of black and white, except the iron grey, which receives a few bay hairs among the black and 

 white ; a considerable prejudice exists in favour of this colour. Greys are light or dark ; there are also 

 the dappled, the markings of which are extremely beautiful, and the silver grey. Grey horses become 

 lighter by age : many old white horses have been grey until age overtook them. Grey horses, like black, 

 admit of no settled character; though unlike them, they are not to be generally disapproved of. They 

 have, however, all the extremes within their range ; the darker ones are usually good, the lighter ones 

 not generally so. 



5628. The extraordinary colors are not very numerous, and it may be remarked, that white is always 

 the relieving tint, intermixed with distinct markings, in various proportions, of bay, brown, black, or 

 chestnut. Flea-bitten is grey or white, with small bay spots. When these spots are very large, and have 

 a marginal surface of lighter markings, they give the name tiger colored ; and although they are un- 

 common with us^ they are not unfrequent in Germany and Barbary. Pied or pie-bald is one of the most 

 numerous extraordinary colors, and is usually composed of two colors, in distinct large markings. 

 Now and then a third interferes : there are pies of all original colours with white, and all are held in 

 estimatioh. 



5629. Color, as a criterion of mental and personal qualities, is laid much stress on by many persons s 

 and notwithstanding the adage, that "a good horse cannot be of a bad color," long experience has 

 shown that in general cases, certain tints are usually accompanied by certain qualities of person or dispo- 

 sition. As a general rule, dark coloured horses are certainly the best ; but as before observed, it is pe- 

 culiar that black, as the darkest of all, should form an exception to this rule. Light shades appear un- 

 favorable to strength and durability; they are also accompanied frequently with irritability, and 

 perverseness of temper. Something like a general law in the animal economy seems to prevail, to make 

 white a distinctive mark of weakness. Age, which is the parent of weakness, brings with it white hairs, 

 both in man and in horses, and most other quadrupeds. The hair formed after a wound has robbed a part 

 of its original covering, is often white, because the new formed surface is yet in a state of debility. It is 

 likewise a fact well known among the observant, that the legs and feet when white, are more obnoxious 

 to disease than those of a darker tone. The Arabs remark, that light chestnut horses iiave soft tender 

 feet. It is the observance of these peculiarities, that has at length guided our taste, and formed our 

 judgment of beauty. With us much white on the legs is considered as a deformity, and is expressively 

 called/oMZ marked, whereas pied markings in other parts are reckoned beautiful. In Africa, however, 

 Captain Lyon intbrms us a superstitious dependance is placed on horses with legs and feet stockened with 

 white. It does not appear that climate has the same influence on the color of horses, as on other do- 

 mesticated animals. In all latitudes in which the horse can live, he is black or white indiscriminately; 

 but as he cannot endure extreme rigour, it is not necessary he should vary. 



Sect. III. The Anatomy or Osseous Structure of the Horse. 



5630. All quadrupeds are formed on an earthy base called bone, and the assemblage 

 of bony parts is called a skeleton. Bones are formed of earth and membrane (1844J ; 

 they are covered also by an investure called periosteum. The earthy part is the last 

 formed, and consolidates the bones as the animal becomes fitted to exert all his powers. 

 This deposit of earth in the bones appears to be hastened by any thing that permanently 

 quickens the circulation : heat does this, and hence the human and brute inhabitants of 

 warm climates come to perfection sooner than those of northern regions ; but they are 

 generally smaller, for by preternaturally hastening the earthy deposit before the mem- 

 branous part of the bones becomes fully evolved or grown, they will not attain the bulk 

 they are capable of. Undue exertion has the same etfect, and thus we learn why horses 

 too early and too hard worked become stinted in their growth. Pressure likewise 

 occasions an early, and also a preternatural ossification : in this way the parts of the spine 

 which bear heavy loads, present large masses of bone, brought on by this cause alone. 

 For the same reasons, horses early worked put out splints, spavins, and other bony con- 

 cretions. Bones are all of them, more or less, hollow: within their caverns an oily fluid 

 is secreted, called medulla or marrow, which serves for their support, and of the consti- 

 tution generally. The bones have nerves, blood vessels, and absorbents. Bones 

 are capable of reproduction, as is proved by their uniting when broken ; and also by 

 the yearly renewal of the antlers of the deer, which are not horn as in the ox or sheep, 

 but pure bone. Bones are connected together by articulation : when such articula- 

 tion is moveable, it is termed a joint. In some cases bones articulate by suture or 

 indentation of parts, as in the skull. We shall consider, in succession, the anatomy of 

 the head, trunk, and extremities. 



Subs EOT. 1 . Anatomy of the Head. 



5631. The hones of the head are the occipital, {fig. 615 between a Sib) which is the largest bone of the 

 skull : in tlie colt it is composed of several pieces which unite by age, by two apophyses ; it articulates 

 with the atlas (a) or first of the cervical or neck vertebrae. At its posterior surface it is perforated by a 

 large hole, which gives passage to the. spinal marrow. The ivio frontal bones (6) unite also by age; 



