THE NOBLE SCIENCE, 12T 



Cherish him, spare no pains to preserve him ; he will 

 get no less used to you, than you to him ; and he will 

 repay all your cares four-fold : — as he cannot endure for 

 ever, he will serve as a model for your future choice 

 as to shape, &c. Never think of colour; foreigners 

 have a prejudice against a speck of white, and are 

 guided by similar nonsense in their selection, thoughy 

 truly, they have expatriated some of our best blood; 

 but the possessors of large studs will tell you, that they 

 have had equally good horses of all colours ; little ones 

 are said to beat big ones, and it cannot be doubted 

 that there are more real good ones below the height 

 of fifteen hands, three inches (which is high enough), 

 than above it ; but there is, probably, something in the 

 fact, that, as is the case with men, and all things in 

 animal creation, there are few of large growth per- 

 fect in other respects. A horse of sixteen hands, 

 with symmetry as faultless, and power proportionate, 

 must be better calculated for a hunter, than one 

 of fifteen, neither having exceeded, or fallen short of, 

 his. natural growth. I say this upon conviction, still 

 taking leave to retain my own predilection for little ones, 

 till I see their inferiority manifested. With regard to 

 entire horses, there is a notion, that, if once stopped, 

 or tired, they never forget it, and are liable to shut up 

 early, in a fit of the sulks : there may have been such 

 cases, but not enough to form a rule. If an entire 



