Book VI I. 



CRITERIA OF HORSES. 



931 



thrown back, must also go into his neck (at what is called the points) unperceive^, which 

 perhaps facilitates the going much more than the narrow shoulder ; the arm, or fore- 

 thigh, should be muscular, and tapering from the shoulder, to meet a fine, straight, 

 sinewy, and bony leg ; the hoof circular, and wide at the heel; his chest deep, and full 

 at the girth ; his loins or fillets broad and straight, and body round ; his hips or hooks 

 by no means wide, but quarters long, and the tail set on so as to be nearly in the same 

 right line as his back ; his thighs strong and muscular ; his legs clean and fine-boned ; 

 the leg-bones not round, but what is called lathy or flat. 



5953. The chief points in a/arming cart-horse, in the opinion of the author of the New 

 Fanner s Calendar, are, '< neck not long, nor too thick ; short legs, rather flat than 

 round and gummy ; fore-feet even, not too (distant ; wide chest; strong, but not high, 

 shoulders ; considerable length of waist, supported by a wide loin ; quarters full, and 

 rather raised ; strong muscular thigh ; size, fifteen hands one inch, to sixteen hands high. 

 Being somewhat forelow, gives them an advantage in draught ; and a moderate length 

 of waist insures speed in the walk. 



5954. The horse used in husbandry, according to the writer of the Experienced 

 Farmer, ought to be larger, but in other respects like the road horse ; and, instead of 

 walking two or three miles an hour, be able to walk four or five. In that case he 

 would be able both to plough more land in a given time, and work in the cart or wag- 

 gon with more dispatch, when wanted. In harvest time, a nimble and strong horse is 

 valuable. In drawing manure into the field, or corn to the market, the farmer will also 

 find his account in strength and activity ; for. as the draught in all these cases is light 

 one way, such horses would do their business with speed. The small farmer need not 

 with this kind of horse keep an idle one ; he might carry his master to market, and 

 plough the remainder of the week. 



5955. In a horse for the plough, according to Brown, both strength and agility are re- 

 quired ; a dash of blood, therefore, is net disadvantageous. It is not size that confers 

 strength, the largest horses being often soonest worn out. A quick even step, an easy 

 movement, and a good temper, are qualities of the greatest importance to a working 

 horse ; and the possession of them is of more avail than big bones, long legs, and a 

 lumpy carcase. To feed well is also a prcperty of great value ; and this properly, as 

 all judges know, depends much upon the shai)e of the barrel, deepness of chest, strength 

 of back, and size of the hips or hooks v-ith which the animal is furnished. If straight 

 in the back, and not over short, high In thi ribs, and with hooks close and round, tlie 

 animal is generally hardy, capable of undergoing a great deal of fatigue, without lessen- 

 ing his appetite, or impairing his working powers ; whereas horses that are sharp pointed, 

 flat ribbed, hollow backed, and wide set in the hooks, are usually bad feeders, and soon 

 done up when put to hard work. 



5956. The criteria of a horse' sage are derived from the appearance of the teeth. Ac- 

 cording to La Fosse the younger, there are these appearances. The horse is foaled with 

 six molar or grinding teeth in each jaw (Jig. 629 a) ; the tenth or twelfth day after, the 



629 



two front nippers (a) appear above and below , and in fourteen or fifteen days from this, 

 the two intermediate (bb) are pushed out ; the corner ones (c c) are not cut till three 

 months after. At ten months the incisive or nipjiers are on a level with each other, the 

 front less than the middle, and these again hss than the corners ; they at this time have 

 a very sensible cavity (d). At twelve months this cavity becomes smaller, and the 

 animal appears with four molar teeth on each side, above and below, three of the tempo- 

 raneous or colts', and one permanent or horse tooth : at eighteen the cavity in the nippers 

 is filled up, and there are five grinders, two of the horse, and tliree temporaneous : at 

 two years, (Jig, 630. ) the first of the colt's molar teeth in each jaw, above and below, are 



630 



displaced: at two years and a half, cr thrse years, the front nippers fall and give 



3 2 



