32 THE AMERICAN HORSEWOMAN. 



riding, a horse of this sort ^vill suit her very 

 -well. Sometimes a horse of good breed, as well 

 as of good form, has never had the advantages 

 of a thorough training, or he may be worn out 

 by excessive work. Should he be comparatively 

 young, rest and proper training may still make 

 a good horse of him, but great care should be 

 taken to assure one's self that no permanent 

 disease or injury exists. The Orientals have a 

 proverb, that it is well to bear in mind when 

 buying an animal of the kind just described : — 

 "Ruin, son of ruin, is he who buys to cure." 



Alwa^'s examine with great care a horse's 

 mouth. A hard-mouthed animal is a very un- 

 pleasant one for a lady to ride, and is apt to 

 degenerate into a runaway. Scars at the angles 

 of the mouth are good indications of a " bolter,'* 

 or runaway, or at least of cruel treatment, and 

 harsh usage is by no means a good instructor. 



While a very short-backed horse does not ap- 

 pear to great advantage under a side-saddle, he 

 may, nevertheless, have many good qualities 

 that will compensate for this defect, and it may 

 be overlooked provided the price asked for him 

 be reasona])le ; but horses of this kind fre- 

 quently command a high price when their ac- 

 tion is exceptionally good. Corns on the feet 

 generally dcj^reciate the value of a horse, al- 



