15 



CHAPTER III. 



SHAPE— conimwec?. shouldees. 



HAVixa now looked carefully over the horse, we will 

 take each part and examine it more particularly. 



To begin with the head. Standing in front and 

 looking at it, it should be narrow between the ears, 

 wide between the eyes, and taper down till it is 

 narrow again at the nostrils. The eyes should be 

 large, prominent, and bold-looking, and the nostrils 

 moderately large. I should say that a horse with a 

 very large, open nostril would be delicate and nervous, 

 and easily frightened, while one with a very small, 

 closed nostril might be apt to be mulish and obstinate. 

 Looking at the head sideways, it should be wide 

 across the cheek, and narrow, but not too much so, 

 across the mouth. The front outline should be 

 straight, with a slight curve round the nostrils. 

 What is called a dish nose is when there is a hollow 

 between the eyes and nostrils ; and a Eoman nose 

 means a projection between those two points. As a 

 rule dish noses are better- tempered than Roman 

 noses, but a straight profile is the best of the three. 



