14; THE HORSE. 



CHOOSING A HORSE. 



In choosing a horse, consider well for ^\hat work 

 you intend him. If you want him for two or more 

 purposes, judge of his qualities with reference to 

 the most important of those objects ; that is, if you 

 want a real working horse, to draw heavy carriages, 

 four-wheeled chaises, cabriolets, or those lighter 

 vehicles, one horse chariots, keep only one for that 

 business. Under this description, indeed, may be 

 included the horses of tradesmen and travellers 

 generally ; but not those of gentlemen who keep a 

 respectable stud. 



To commercial men, who now seldom ride on 

 horseback, but who make their journeys in gigs, a 

 good harness-horse is the desideratum. This is more 

 especially the case in the iron, or Manchester, and 

 indeed in many other trades, where the traveller 

 has to convey weighty samples or patterns. Nor 

 may it be amiss to observe in this place that the 

 heavy loads which the horses of some commercial 

 travellers have to drag after them reflect little credit 

 upon the humanity of the owners — almost a regular 

 cart load ! But for the exact kind of horse best fitted 

 for such uses, it would be extremely diflicult to lay 

 down any fixed rule. All we can do is to give some 

 general instructions, by means of which, with a little 

 attention, the judgment of persons may be mate- 

 rially assisted in the selection of animals for use, as 

 well as in keeping them ready for their work. 



SIZE OF HORSE. 



Horses for the road should never be under four- 

 teen hands high, rarely less than fourteen and a half, 

 and never above sixteen. As a general rule, fifteen 

 hands and a half should ')e the extent. If your 



