NATURAL HISTORY. U9 



may be formed of the principal perfections or imper- 

 fections of a horse. It is very easy to judge of the 

 natural and actual state of the animal by the motion 

 of his ears. When he walks, he should project for- 

 wards the points of his ears. A jaded horse carries 

 his ears low ; those which are spirited and mischiev- 

 ous, alternately carry one of their ears forwards and 

 one backwards. They all carry their ears on that 

 side from which they hear any noise, and when any 

 one strikes them on the back, or on the rump, they 

 turn their ears back. Horses which have the eyes 

 deep sunk in the head, or one smaller than the other, 

 have usually a bad sight. Those which have the 

 mouth dry, are not of so healthy a temperament as 

 those which have the mouth moist, and make the bri- 

 dle frothy. A saddle horse ought to have the shoul- 

 ders flat, moveable, and not very fleshjfc A draught 

 horse, on the contrary, should have them flat, round, 

 and brawny. If, notwithstanding, the shoulders of a 

 saddle horse are too thin, it is a defect which shews 

 the shoulders are not free, and consequently the horse 

 cannot bear fatigue. Another fault of a saddle horse 

 is, to have the chest project too far forward, and the 

 fore legs drawn too much back, because he is apt to 

 rest on the hand in galloping, and even to stumble 

 and fall. The length of the legs should be propor- 

 tionable to the height of the horse ; when the fore 

 legs are too long, he is not sure footed ; if they are 

 too short, he is too heavy in the hand. It is remarked 

 that mares are more liable than horses to be short- 

 legged, and that horses in general have the legs 

 thicker than mares or geldings. 



The age of the horse is known from his teeth. He 

 has forty ; twenty-four grinders, four eye teeth, and 

 twelve Incisive teeth. Mares have no eye teeth, or if 



