ON THE PURCHASE OF THE HORSE. 



\j 



cannon-bones short and flat, not round, with clean, strong 

 sinews, pastern joint not very long and somewhat oblique, 

 the feet always good size, large and round, or as nearly so 

 as can be found, they must be sound, no crack of any 

 kind, no thrush, corn, or anything wrong with them, the 

 hind legs should be flat, quarters large, strong, and broad 

 when looked at from his side, but square and solid from 

 behind. 



The hind feet should be similar in form to the front ; 

 no spavin, curb, or thoroughpin. 

 Back should be shortish, neither 

 long nor short, running well back 

 to croup, that falling somewhat 

 abruptly to root of tail ; loins, if 

 a little arched, will be an evi- 

 dence of a strong back ; barrel or 

 body round, and well ribbed up. 

 A close-ribbed horse is generally 

 the easiest keeper. 



Neck moderately long, convexly 

 arched from shoulder to crest, thin 

 where it joins the head, and that 

 so set on that when it yields to the 

 pressure of the bit it forms some- 

 what of a semicircle, bringing the 

 chin in and downward near the 

 chest. 



Very little trouble attends the 

 fore management of horses whose 

 heads and necks are thus propor- 

 tioned. The throttle should be well opened, and space 

 between the points of lower jaw wide, say three inches; 

 head should be long and lean, not beefy, broad between 

 eyes, neither basin-faced or Roman-nosed, but a happy 



A HORSE S FORE LIMB. 



