COLOUR. 347 



red pupil, is appropriated to royal use. Attached to the state-carriage of 

 the monarch, he is a superb animal. His bulky, yet perfectly formed body, 

 his swellina: crest, and his proud and lofty action, as if conscious of his 

 office, qualify him for the service that is exacted from him, but we havo 

 little experience how far he Avould suit other 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 httle more bay or brown, is con- 

 sidered a preferable animal, especially if he has little or no white about 

 him ; yet even he, though pleasant to ride, is sometimes irritable, and 

 generally weak. We mnst 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 carcass ; powerful in the quarters, 

 but rather fine in the legs ; possessed of great endurance, and with a con- 

 stitution that rarely knows an ailment, except that the feet ai'e small and 

 disposed to contraction, and the horse is occasionally of a hot and un- 

 manageable temper. 



Of the bays, there are many 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 valu- 

 able — the lightness of his colour seems to give him some tenderness of 

 constitution. The pure bay, Avith 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 confoiTuation is not faulty, 

 vnll 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 de- 

 gree of breeding, he would be as handsome, and moi-e valuable. 



When, however, we arrive at the bro^vns, 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 comparatively coarse, yet useful for the saddle 

 and for harness — for slow work, and, occasionally, for that which is more 

 rapid. 



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

 cerned, and should be more carefully examined. It is valuable if it 

 retains the goodness of constitution of the brown and bay-broAvn. 



Of the black, greater care has been taken. The heavy black of Lin- 

 colnshire and the midland counties is a noble animal, and Avould be almost 

 beyond price if he could be rendered more active. The next in size con- 

 stitute the majority of our waggon-horses, and perhaps our best ; and, on 

 a smaller breed, and to the improvement of which mnch attention has 

 been devoted, many of our cavaky are mounted. A few black thorough- 

 bred horses and black hunters are occasionally seen, but the improvement 

 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 



