46 THE HORSE. 



long, straight and close to its neighbour, indicating a 

 narrow nape of the neck. 



The ear is called bold when its orifice is persistently- 

 directed forward, accompanying the look. 



Formerly the ears were injured, in similar fashion 

 as the tail, by cropping, They were then designated as 

 docked. 



The supra-orbits (5, fig. 26) are two little cavities 

 below the ears and above the eyes. Placed between these 

 and the temples, they should be slightly apart from each 

 other as the consequence of a broad forehead ; the 

 depressions they form become more hollow with age. A 

 very clean-limbed horse, although young, can show this 

 conformation. 



The eye should be very prominent and wide open, 

 expressive and soft, under silky long eyebrows so that its 

 gaze may be candid and bold. Apprehension should be 

 felt when it is veiled and oblique, indicative of eyes 

 ill-formed and too deeply set. 



The lower the eye with reference to the ear, the more 

 developed is the cerebral capacity. 



The cheek occupies a large portion of the lateral face 

 of the head. It is limited above by the eye, the zygomatic 

 crest and the face, and makes an anterior extension to 

 the commissure of the lips, posteriorly it is terminated by 

 the curve of the lower jaw. The cheek ought not to be 

 burdened with connective tissue as then the head would 

 be fat and of a common type. 



The face (8, fig. 26), starts from the forehead and 

 finishes in a point between the nostrils. In order to be 

 beautiful and conducive to respiration, it must be broad. 

 There is a preference for a straight face rather than for one 

 curved, and according to the accentuation of the curve 

 the head is said to be arched, sheep-faced or hare-faced, 

 when the convexity extends from the forehead. I have 

 remarked this last conformation in nearly all Oriental 

 mares. (B, fig. 26). 



With the females, this general shape of the head of 

 foals is more persistent than with the males. These latter 

 have the face straight and sometimes even concave, when 

 the head is designated as camel-nosed. 



Respiratory Organs. The nostrils (9, fig. 26) are the 



