SURFEIT. 587 



proud and lofty action, as it' conscious of his office, qualify liim for the service thai is 

 exacted from him, but we have little experience how far he would suit ether purposes. 



Of the chestnuts there are three varieties — the pale red or the sorrel, usually with 

 some white, either on the face or the legs — generally lightly made, yet some of them 

 bulky enough for the heaviest loads. Their colour is generally objectionable, and 

 they are supposed to be somewhat deficient in endurance. ^ 



The light chestnut, with less red and a little more bay or brown, is considered a 

 preferable animal, especially if he has little or no white about him ; yet even he, 

 although pleasant to ride, is sometimes irritable, and generally weak. We must 

 except one variety, the Suffolk punch ; a heavy horse, and adapted for slow work, but 

 perfect of his kind — whom no labour can daunt, no fatigue overcome. This is a breed 

 now, unfortunately, nearly extinct. The present variety, however crossed, is not 

 equal to the old Suffolk. 



The dark chestnut is as different a horse from the hackney-like chestnut as can be 

 well imagined; round in the carcase; powerful in the quarters, but rather fine in the 

 leo-s ; possessed of great endurance, and with a constitution that rarely knows an ail- 

 ment, except that the feet are small and disposed to contraction, and the horse is occa- 

 sionally of a hot and unmanageable temper. 



Of the bays, there are rnany varieties, and they include the very best of our horses 

 of every description. The bright yellow bay, although very beautiful, and especially 

 if his mane and tail are black, is the least valuable — the lightness of his colour seems 

 to give him some tenderness of constitution. The pure bay, with no white about him, 

 and black from the knees and hocks to the feet, is the most desirable of all. He has 

 generally a good constitution, and good feet; and, if his conformation is not faulty, 

 will turn out a valuable horse for almost every purpose. 



The bay-brown has not always so much show and action, but, generally, more 

 strength and endurance, and usefulness. He has greater substance than the lighter 

 bay, and more depth of leg ; and, if he had the same degree of breeding, he would be 

 as handsome, and more valuable. 



When, however, we arrive at the browns, it is necessary to examine the degree of 

 breeding. This colour is not so fashionable, and therefore these horses have been 

 considerably neglected. There are many good ones, and those that are good are 

 valuable ; others, probably, are only a half or a quarter bred, and therefore compara- 

 tively coarse, yet useful for the saddle and for harness — for slow work, and, occasion- 

 ally, for that which is more rapid. 



The black-brown is generally more neglected so far as its breed is concerned, and 

 should be more carefully examined. It is valuable if it retains the goodness of con- 

 stitution of the brown and bay-brown. 



Of the black, greater care has been taken. The heavy black of Lincolnshire and 

 the midland counties is a noble animal, and would be almost beyond price if he could 

 be rendered more active. The next in size constitute the majority of our wagon- 

 horses, and perhaps our best; and, on a smaller breed, and to the improvement of 

 which much attention has been devoted, many of our cavalry are mounted. A few 

 black thorough-bred horses and black hunters are occasionally seen, but the improve- 

 ment of horses of this colour has not been studied, except for the purposes that have 

 been mentioned. Their peculiar high action, while not objectionable for draught, and 

 desirable for the parade, would be unbearable in the roadster. Black horses have 

 been said to be more subject to vice, disease, and blindness, than those of any other 

 colour. This charge is not true to its full extent; but there certainly are a great many 

 worthless black horses in every part of the country. 



After all, there is an old saying, that a good horse cannot be of a bad colour; and 

 that it is far more necessary to attend to the conformation and points of the animal 

 than to his colour. The foregoing observations, however, although they admit of 

 many exceptions, may be useful in guiding to the judicious purchase of the horse. 



SURFEIT. 



Large pimples or eruptions often appear suddenly on the skin of the horse, and 

 especially in the spring of the year. Occasionally they disappear as quickly as they 

 came. Sometimes they seem to be attended with great itching, but. at other times, 

 the annoyance is comparatively little. When these eruptions have remain'ed a few 

 rlays. the cuticle frequently peels off, and a small scaly spot — rarely a sore — is left. 



