HORSES. 71 



sufficient substance, its sinew large and distinct ; the fet- 

 locks long ; the hocks should form an angle of such an 

 extent as to place the feet immediately under the flank. 

 The fore arms, like the thighs, should be large, muscu- 

 lar, and of good length, the elbows not turning outwards ; 

 the knees large, and lean ; the shank, or cannon bone, 

 flat, strong, and not too long; the tendon large; the 

 fore arm and shank must form nearly a straight line ; 

 fetlock joints large and clean ; pasterns inclining to a 

 certain degree, not too long, but large in proportion to 

 their length ; the coronary rings not thick or swelled, but 

 clean, dry, and hairy ; the feet neither too high nor too 

 flat, and of size apparently a sufficient base for the 

 weight they have to sustain ; hoofs, of color dark and 

 shining, without seams or wrinkles, tough and strong, 

 not hard like oak ; foot internally concave, sole hard, 

 but not shrunk, heels wide and of middling height ; frog 

 not too large or fleshy, but tough and sound ; the feet 

 of equal size, should stand exactly parallel, so that the 

 front or toe incline neither inward nor outward; the 

 fore feet should stand perpendicular to the chest; not 

 too much under it, and they should be less wide apan 

 than the fore arms ; the legs should not be loaded with 

 hair. 



CHOOSING A GOOD HORSE. 



Besides regarding the most prominent marks of a 

 good horse, there are many other things to be taken into 

 consideration. Perfect feet are indispensable. A horse 

 with bad feet is always unsafe ; he will trip, and is very 

 liable to fall. Any tenderness or uneasiness about a 

 horse's feet renders him unsafe. 



When a horse is offered for sale, the purchaser should 

 ask one question, \'iz : — ''Is he, in all respects, perfectly 

 sound ? " Should a cheat be practised, damages could 

 be recovered. View his feet and legs ; large ridges on 

 the hoofs, or very^ flat feet, discover a horse to be subject 

 to founder; large, gouty legs, with enlarged tendons, 

 indicate strains and other injuries. Examine his hind 

 legs ^vith great attention, just below the hock, and inside 

 the hind knee ; if there is anv unnatural prominence, or 



