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CHAPTER 11. 



THE POINTS OF THE HORSE, COLOURS, MARKING 

 AND AGE. 



The '-'■pomts " of the horse are the terms used to indicate the several The 

 regions alluded to. " points' 



Commencing at the top of the head, the part immediately between of the 

 and behind the ears is called the " poll " ; the " forehead " is from the poll "O'^se. 

 down to the level of the eyes. From the level of the eyes downwards to 

 the nostrils we have the " face," and the lower part, including nostrils, 

 mouth and chin, is generally termed the " muzzle." By taking hold of 

 the inner side of the nostril, one is able to see some distance up it, to note 

 that it rapidly gets very narrow, and to see on the floor of it, rather 

 towards the inner side, a small hole, which looks as if it had been made 

 with a punch. This opening is the end of a small canal which starts 

 from the inner side of the lower eyelid and allows the tears to be got 

 rid of without running over the face. 



Starting again from the poll : the top of the neck from which the 

 mane springs is called the " crest," and passing the hand down this we 

 come to the " withers." The withers rise slightly from the end of the 

 neck and slope away down to the back ; they are situated immediately 

 over the top of the shoulder blade. Behind the withers lies the " back " ; 

 behind the back the " loins," " croup " and " dock." The " back" runs as 

 far from behind the shoulder blade as a hunting saddle reaches, the 

 " loins " from there to the top of the quarter, and the " croup " from thence 

 on to the root of the tail or " dock." Coming back to the head, the 

 space between the branches of the jaw is called the "jowl," and just 

 behind it is the '* throat." Running down the lower part of each side of 

 the neck, from the angle of the jaw to just in front of the shoulder, is a 

 well-marked shallow groove in which the large blood-vessels of the head 

 and neck lie. On the near side the "gullet" also lies in this groove, and 

 its position may be accurately noted whenever the animal swallows a 

 mouthful of food. Beneath these grooves and in the centre line the 



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