208 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



" The Bays have their name from the semblance 

 their colour bears to that of a dried bay-leaf. These 

 horses generally have the tail and mane black, with a 

 dark streak down the back. The shade, however, 

 varies considerably. Dark bays have also their knees 

 and pasterns black ; while others have the whole of the 

 lower portion of the legs this dark colour. Some light 

 bays inchne to a brown, and are more or less 

 dappled. 



" The Chesnut. — Of this colour there are many good 

 horses, and their appearance is generally extremely 

 beautiful, especially what is termed the true chesnut, 

 which admits of no variety of shade, and this happens 

 when the coat is compounded of three tints — the root 

 of the hair is light, the centre dark, and the extremity 

 of a pale brown. There are, however, degrees lighter 

 or darker : such horses as have white or party-coloured 

 legs are not so handsome as those of the one colour. 

 The beautiful chesnut-tint approaching to the fallow- 

 colour looks remarkably well. 



" The Sorrel differs in this from the chesnut, that 

 the colours are so intermixed, and a reddish tint often 

 predominates, having the appearance of a fox -colour. 

 Such horses are often bald over the face, and the tail 

 and mane is of a sandy hue. It is generally believed 

 that those horses which have much white about their 

 hmbs are faulty in the feet and tender in constitution ; 

 hence the chesnut is preferable in most instances, 

 whether for beauty or goodness. 



" The Brown is thought inferior in beauty to the 

 bay or chesnut. The shades of this colour are various , 

 the manes and tails of such horses are generally black, 

 as also their joints. Brown horses grow gradually 

 lighter towards the belly and flanks ; and many are 

 light and mealy about the muzzle. The stout and 



