8 HOESES AND EIDING. 



may really look as if lie was made of two halves of 

 two different-sized animals joined together. 



A close inspection is very valuable to see and 

 judge whether a horse has any local defects, but a 

 more distant view should first be obtained. 



For this reason I should advise anyone to first 

 look at a horse from a distance of forty or fifty yards ; 

 and then, if the horse's looks please him, proceed 

 to a closer inspection. 



The first view is generally taken with the horse's 

 broadside to you. With reference to this view, a 

 horse must either be a long, low horse, a tall, short 

 horse, or a square horse. Many people who could 

 tell you directly if a horse was a long, low horse or 

 not are still quite unable to point out what a long, 

 low horse means. The following is the explanation : 

 If you take a side-view of a horse and drop a line 

 from the top of his shoulder or withers to the 

 ground, then draw another line from the front of 

 his breast to the furthest part of his hind quarters, 

 and then compare the two measurements, if the first 

 measurement is the longest he is a tall, short horse ; 

 that is, he is higher than he is long ; if the second 

 measure is the longest, he is a long, low horse; if 

 both measurements are alike, he is a square horse. 



Of these three shapes it is the fashion to consider 

 the long, low one as the best ; but for general pur- 

 poses — that is, hacking on the road, hunting, and 

 riding over all sorts of fences and ground — I should 



