ROAD HORSES. 117 



be thick, but it is absolutely necessary that he should 

 have a tine head and clear, intelligent eyes, with a 

 good space between and above them. An English 

 authority declares, " There was never yet a first-class 

 race horse that had a mean head," and I believe 

 this is equally true of roadsters. The ears also 

 are an important point ; they should be set neither 

 close together nor wide apart, and it is of the utmost 

 consequence how they are carried. A lively, sensible 

 horse, one who has the true roadster disposition, will 

 continually move his ears, pointing them forward and 

 backward, and even sideways, thus showing that he is 

 attentive and curious as to what takes place about 

 him, and interested to observe what may be coming. 

 A beast with a coarse head, narrow forehead, dull, 

 timorous eyes, and ears that tend to incline away 

 from each other when held upright, and which are 

 apt to be pointed backward, — such a horse is one 

 to avoid as certainly deficient in mind, and prob- 

 ably in courage and in good temper as well. Many 

 lazy, sluggish animals of this sort are considered 

 eminently safe for women to drive ; and so they are 

 until the harness breaks or something else fright- 

 ens them, when they become panic-stricken and tear 

 everything to pieces. On the other hand, a high- 

 strung but intelligent horse will quickly recover from 

 a sudden alarm, when he finds that after all he has 

 not been hurt. The manner rather than the fact of 

 shying is the thing to be considered. 



When we come to inquire how good roadsters are 

 bred, the answer can be given with more confidence, 

 for the source of their endurance and courage is always 

 found either in Arabian or in thoroughbred blood. 



