14 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 



breathe more quickly, and you will have noticed 

 the large, stiflf and wide nostrils of a horse that is 

 undergoing severe exertion. 



14. — The opening of the nostrils when the horse 

 is resting and breathing slowly is a mere chink or 

 slit, but in violent exertion the nostril opening is 

 quite round, and often reminds one of the mouth of 

 that ancient weapon the blunderbuss. 



The muscles of the nostrils must be in good tone. 

 All muscles when unduly rested lose their tone, 

 but when only moderately used keep their tone. 

 Perhaps of all the muscles of the body the muscles 

 of the nostrils are the least likely to lose their tone, 

 because the horse has only to walk quickly to be 

 obliged to widen his nostrils and breathe quicker. 

 Even in illness, the fever which so often accompanies 

 his disease increases his rate of breathing, and so 

 exercises the muscles of the nostrils. Sometimes, 

 however, the muscles do lose some of their tone, 

 and then, if you take and gallop the horse severely, 

 the muscles vibrate and make a fr-r-r-r-apping noise. 

 This peculiar noise disappears when the horse gets 

 into regular work, and the muscle of the nostril 

 acquires the requisite amount of ' tone.' 



When the nostrils are a shade smaller than they 

 ought to be and the horse is put to violent breath- 

 ing effort, the muscles of the nostrils render the 

 wall of the nostrils so stiff and rigid that the air in 

 passing in makes a loud blowing noise, and clearly 

 indicates want of nasal capacity. Such a one is 



