ON THE HACKNEY AND HUNTER. 223 



There is a certain reafon why St. Bel did 

 wrong in not quoting Ofmer by name. In 

 one cafe, he has very properly corrected him. 

 Ofmer, though an excellent writer, was a little 

 too pofitive. He offers a method of fhoeing, 

 or paring one fide of the foot of a colt, which 

 is infallibly to prevent his ever turning out his 

 toes. But he erred in fuppofmg the defecl to 

 be the mere' confequence of early habit, fince 

 it is no doubt almoft ever the refult of natural 

 conformation, and his propofed remedy might 

 be attended with dangerous confequences. 

 He, perhaps, received the opinion of the Sta- 

 gyrite too literally, " that Nature never errs/* 

 which, if predicted of her original determina- 

 tions, is unqueflionable ; but if of fpontaneous 

 and fortuitous acliion, is contradicted by every 

 day's experience. 



It is a very juft obfervation, that a horfe 

 " can fcarce go too wide behind," and, that he 

 ought to be very wide acrofs the knee, fore- 

 arm, thigh, and hock. But I have, as well as 

 Bracken, feen now and then one, which ex- 

 ceeded in thofe particulars, and which were 

 inapt for aclion in confequence, but robuft and 

 hard feeders. A Horfe mult obvioufly lofe 

 flrength, if the hind legs be too far extended, 

 and I have thence feen that wavering of the 

 croup, noted by St. Bel, in both (addle and draft 



horfes, 



