106 THE HORSE. 



will be rarely palmed off for any but the meanest pur- 

 poses. 



Short-bodied ness, however, must not be confounded 

 with '' short back;" in fact, the back can hardly be too 

 short. 



YOUNG HORSES. 



When young horses are, on the one hand, to be broken 

 in, in the short space of time not uncommonly allotted 

 by indifferent horsemen, so as to be fit to be ridden, such 

 time not allowing the paces to become "^set"; or when, 

 on the other hand, they are worked at so early an age, 

 that no notion can be formed of their capabihties, we 

 cannot but foresee that they will come to some mischief 

 or other. 



As a somewhat analogous case, take that of a man 

 brought from the farm, to be drilled in military exercises 

 for a month or six weeks, and then to be allowed to go as 

 he pleases, yet tied down to work totally different from 

 that to which he has hitherto been accustomed ; and then 

 say how long it would be before he would return to his 

 original gait and habits? Considering then tlie superior- 

 ity of reason in man to that of the animal, can we fairly 

 expect more of a horse than of a man ? 



The old soldier, long and well trained, and not subse- 

 quently overworked, forever afterwards retains somewhat 

 of an erect, military air. The old horse, ridden for some 

 years by a good horseman, must be seriously overworked 

 if he do not show, by his well-trained gait and by the use 

 of his haunches- evidences of oood drill and education. 



USED HORSES. 



The used horse, as has been before remarked, may be 

 sound — so he may show signs of having been well broken_, 



