1S37] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



Ill 



all (Treys do in process of time, the dappled o^rey 

 and the iron <j;rey keepiiiir their color lousier than 

 any ofthe resi. The nutmeg ijreys are haiulsotne, 

 antl the t^ea-hitien i^reysare not without their ad- 

 mirers. I have had at various periods several 

 very irood iireys. The best hunter I ever rode, 

 was a tlea-hiiten i^rey. 



The roans are a mixture of various colors, j 

 wherein the white pretlominates; they have a ire- 

 neral resemblance to each oilier, and yel are much 

 diversifietl. Those that have a mixture of" the 

 bay ornutmeiT color are the handsomest. 



The strawberry resembles t-he roan; and, like the 

 sorrel, islrequenlly accompanied with white on the 

 face and le^rs. 



The fallow, the dun and the cream color, have 

 a common resemblance. There are many other 

 colors of the horse produced out of the great di- 

 versitj' that are to be met with, which would re- 

 quire endless description, and alter all vvould 

 amount to nothing. 



Black legs are preferred to white; aiid the latter 

 being supposed more sub|ect to disease. A cor- 

 respondence will generally be found between the 

 face and the legs in regard to while: — where 

 there liappens to be much white on the legs, 

 white will be found to predominate on the fiice 

 also. 



'/Tie horse considered as to his form. 



Although as far as regards the elegant quadru- 

 ped under consideration, the term beauty might be 

 abstractedly applied, yet a trifling investigation of 

 the subject will clearly show that its general prin- 

 ciples are not only applicable to, but striking ex- 

 emplified in, the form of the horse. 



If we compare the horse and the cow, we in- 

 stantly perceive liow much more beautiful the for- 

 mer appears, more graceful and mure interesting 

 to the eye; and the mind, in consequence, is im- 

 pressed with more pleasing sensations. VV hence, 

 it may be asked, does this arise? From the su- 

 periority of the form of the one compared with 

 that of the other. Very true; but such an answer 

 is very unsatisfactory to an inquiring mind; and it 

 requires a more tangible, a more specific, an(i a 

 more conclusive reason before the subject is placed 

 in astateof satisfactory and unqualified conviction. 



Regarding beauty or form, theiefore, on the 

 broad and general princi|)le, we shall find that an\ 

 animated or inanimate form or thing presents a 

 pleasing appearance precisely in proportion to its 

 possession of what is understood among painters 

 by the appellation ofthe line of beauty ; it may be 

 more plainly described as a serpentine line, which 

 may be traced by the eye upon all beautiful ani- 

 mals, and which some of them present in great, if 

 not endless variety. It will easily be perceived 

 that the form of the horse exhibits the serpentine 

 or gently bending line in considerable variety ; 

 while in the cow, it can scarcely be traced; and 

 therefore the former is justly regarded as more 

 beautiful in form than the other. If two horses 

 are placed before the spectator, the one present- 

 ing an ewe neck, and the other with a well raised 

 crest, can any person hesitate for one moment to 

 pronounce which is the more beautiful? The ewe 

 neck may be said to form the reverse of the line 

 of beauty, and is therefore less pleasing to con- 

 template than tlie other, where the gently bend- 



ing or serpentine line is obviously and boldly de- 

 fined. The most beautiful Imrses exhibit the line 

 in question very proniinenily, and in great variety; 

 while in the more ordinary forms it is much less 

 dislmguishable, and in some can scarcely be traced. 

 Hence, therefore, I should denominate this system 

 of reasoning u[)on forms, the philosojihy of beauty. 

 The figure of the cow, as well as the fitrure of 

 many oiher animals, instead of the true serpen- 

 tine line, presents ii ill-defined, as well as blunt or 

 obtuse angles; ap[iearances which may be regard- 

 ed in a similar \\'A\\ to discords in music: they af- 

 ford an opportunity of judging, of forming a deci- 

 ded and conclusive opinion; nor could we under- 

 stand half so well, nor appreciate half so highly, 

 the beauty of fine forms, but for the contrast. 



Handsome horses will be found to diOer in form, 

 which merely amounts to this, that beauty is not 

 confined, but presents itself in great variety. — 

 Horses will be tbund with great decline or slope 

 of the shoulder, powerful quarters, so fiirset in as 

 scarcely to leave room for the saddle behind them: 

 such horses will fl-ec^uenlly appear long up the leg. 

 Others will present a greater leni^th of carcass and 

 shorter legs. And, although horses exhibit one 

 general appearance, yet if we are to descend to 

 minute particulars, the ramifications of form would 

 become infinite. It must be admitted, however, 

 that there is a standard of form, which, though 

 presenting trifling variations, is nevertheless supe- 

 rior to every other; and if 1 were asked to poiniout 

 one of the finest figures of a horse (if not the very- 

 finest) that ever came before me, I should in- 

 stance Lottery. This horse was bred by JMr. 

 Watt, of Bishop Burton, Yorkshire, and was ori- 

 ginally called Tinker. His running never could 

 be depended on, owing to his vicious temper, and 

 hence liis name was changed to Lottery. His 

 powers as a racer, I am of the opinion, were su- 

 perior to those of any other horse that ever ap- 

 peared upon the turi; but his running was always 

 rendered doubt iLil, owinij to his temper. 



Speed may be regarded as expressive of strength, 

 since all animals remarkable fijr swiftness of pro- 

 gressive motion, are equally so lor that tendonous 

 or sinewy development which constitutes the ba- 

 sis of extraordinary force. Nor can it be other- 

 wise; lor, if we reason by comparison, great speed 

 can alone be acquired from great strenuth. Of all 

 aniuials there is none which exhibits eo striking 

 an exemplification of what has been just stated as 

 the hare. This animal is remarkable f()r great 

 declination of shoulder, for depth of chest, for 

 breadth of loins, l()r widely-spread, strong quar- 

 ters, and length of hind legs; a conformation 

 which gives her greater speed than any other 

 quadruped in creation ! We must speak t)y com- 

 parison; and when the size of the hare is taken 

 into consideration, she far outstrips all competi- 

 tion. It is true, there may be found greyhounds 

 a trifle fleeter than the hare ; but, tlien, they are 

 three or lour times larger, or more. And if we 

 regard the greyhound, we shall find he possesses 

 the low-dropping chest, and a form similar to the 

 hare, but not in such great and even amazing per- 

 fection. The same observations are applicable to 

 the antelope, the deer, indeed to all swift quadru- 

 peds; and if we are anxious lor speed in the horse, 

 in selecting him let us not forget the form just de- 

 scribed; which, it is evident, produces the greatest 

 speed, and the greatest strength alsoj the hare 



