HOW TO BUY AND SELL A HORSE 



251 



the horse mus't be distinct, and the buyer must have accurate knowledge 

 of pedigrees, or else must know that the seller is solvent and a man of 

 his word. There must be no guess work or anything left to chance, in any 

 animal bought for breeding a particular strain. For, once a mistake is 

 made in breeding, the eradication, theoretically, can never be compassed. 

 Practically, it will take a long time so to work out the false trait that the 

 peculiarity will not be apt to appear again. On this point, the reader 

 would do well to refer to what is said on Atavism and Heredity. 

 V. The Proportions of the Horse. 

 To assist in judging the horse, wo give an outline indicating the propor- 

 tion of the several parts. This, says Mr. J. H. Walsh (Stonehenge) 

 one of the most graphic and correct of English authorities on the horse, 

 combines the average of six horses selected for perfect symmetry, and 

 taken, two of them from celebrated stallions, two from thoroughl)ied 

 hunters, and two from chargers of great value. This, therefore, 

 will not apply to draft horses, yet it will be found that the nearer tne 

 general utility horse comes to the measurements, the better he will be. 



SCALK OK MeASUKEMENT;: 



Inches 



Height 63 



Length from shoulder-point to quarter 66 



From lh(« lowest part of the chest to the ground ;^6 



From tlie elbow-point to the ground 39 



From the withers to the poll, just behind the ears, in a straight liiie 30 



The same measured along the crest 32 



Leuffth of head 22 



