30 THE HORSE 



Ridges in a foot are indications of existing or former 

 disease, and the horse with a ridged foot should be 

 viewed with some suspicion. The same remark applies 

 to a foot the surface of which presents a dished ap- 

 pearance. 



It need hardly be said that the size of a normal and 

 healthy foot varies not only absolutely but relatively, 

 according to the breed of the horse. Well-bred 

 horses, especially Arabs, thoroughbreds, and Morgan 

 horses, have small feet — small even in proportion to 

 the size of the horse. Draft horses have larger feet. A 

 small foot, if well-shaped and of good texture and not 

 contracted at the heels, is to be preferred to a larger 

 foot, especially in the case of a saddle horse. A saddle 

 horse with large feet can hardly escape being somewhat 

 clumsy and hard to ride. 



Sometimes a horse will have one foot, especially one 

 forefoot, smaller than the other. This is always 

 suspicious, and will probably indicate that the horse 

 is or was lame in that foot, or else that some lameness 

 in the leg has occurred and the foot has become smaller 

 from want of natural use. 



COLOR 



There is a common belief, and, no doubt, a correct 

 one, that certain colors indicate strength of constitution. 

 These colors are roan, especially black roan, dark 

 steel gray, and flea-bitten gray. A flea-bitten gray 

 horse is almost always, I think, intelligent and good- 

 tempered, as well as tough. I once asked a general of 

 cavalry, who had bought thousands of horses for the 



