ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP 



make, which require especial examination by 

 himself and a veterinary, and, when good, more 

 or less guarantee the horse's usefulness for any 

 particular purpose, and by giving room for the 

 proper working of internal organs, contribute 

 to the horse's peace of mind and cheerfulness. 



A horse should be courageous, generous, 

 and impulsive, and of thoroughly sound constitu- 

 tion ; and it is with these essentials in mind 

 that we will look at him. As the eyes give the 

 best indication of disposition, they are the first 

 point the intending purchaser should look at. A 

 good eye is full, lustrous, of good size, medium 

 convexity, mobile and kindly in expression. 

 Horses with small sunk eyes like a pig have 

 seldom a nice disposition ; those whose eyes are 

 too prominent, like a buck's, and not mobile, are 

 generally short-sighted and inclined to shy. A 

 veterinary has only to give an opinion on the 

 soundness of the eyes ; it is for the purchaser to 

 draw conclusions as to character from them. 



Having satisfied ourselves that the animal 

 has a good disposition, let us examine the head 

 and see that he is wide between the eyes, and 

 that the ears are a moderate distance apart. If 

 too close, he will probably be nervous, if too 

 wide apart, bull-headed ; he should also prick 

 his ears nicely, and fix his attention on what is 



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