2 ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP 



A horse should be courageous, generous, and im- 

 pulsive, with a thoroughly sound constitution ; and it 

 is with these essentials in mind that we will look at him. 

 As the eyes give the best indication of disposition, they 

 are the first point the intending purchaser should look 

 at. A good eye is full, lustrous, of good size, medium 

 convexity, mobile and kindly in expression, and is set 

 nearly horizontally in the face, not obliquely as in the 

 case with the Chinese. Horses with small sunk eyes 

 like a pig have seldom a nice disposition ; those whose 

 eyes are too prominent, like a buck's, and not mobile, 

 are generally short-sighted and inclined to shy. When 

 examining the eyes it is as well to take the horse out 

 into the sun and then see, when the pupils are con- 

 tracted by the light, whether the soot balls are so large 

 that they entirely cover the pupils, as horses with 

 enlarged soot balls are apt to shy in strong sunlight 

 whilst being all right on dull days. A veterinary has 

 only to give an opinion on the soundness of the eyes ; 

 it is for the purchaser to draw conclusions as to character 

 from them. 



Having satisfied ourselves that the animal has a 

 good disposition, let us examine the head and see 

 that he is wide between the eyes, and that the ears 

 are a moderate distance apart. If too close, he will 

 probably be nervous, if too wide apart, bull-headed ; 

 he should also prick his ears nicely, and fix his attention 

 on what is in front. When put at a fence, this should 

 be especially noticed. A forehead that projects usually 

 indicates a very determined horse, though perhaps a 

 grand hunter if allowed to go his own way ; whereas 

 a horse with a concave forehead, one that " dips in," 

 is to be avoided, as he may be foolish and queer- 

 tempered. 



