76 SADDLE HOBSE 



ance of horses that are required for different descriptions 

 of worli, such as the saddle horse, carriage horse and race 

 horse. We have therefore i)laced before you the opinion of 

 Dr Mason, who appears to have talien quite a Uvely inter- 

 est in the subject, and from his manner of treating it, I do 

 not think that I can do better than quote it. He says . 



SADDLE HOKSE. 



'' When a horse is purchased for the saddle alone, it is 

 to be presumed he must be clear of all defects, strike the 

 fancy, entirely please the eye, and, from his happy sym- 

 metry and due proportion of form, stand the second beauty 

 in the world. When this is the case, he is seldom disposed 

 of at too high a price. Amongst the great number of people 

 in the United States, I am induced to believe there are 

 but few good judges of a horse calculated for the saddle. 

 Indeed, they are better informed upon almost any other 

 subject that can be mentioned. Yet the Virginians have 

 a large number of fine horses, and are accused of devoting 

 too much attention to that beautiful animal. Among all 

 the difficulties attending the affairs of common life, there 

 is not, perhaps, a greater than that of choosing a beautiful, 

 an elegant, or good horse. Nor will this appear strange 

 when we consider the number of circumstances that are to 

 be taken into consideration, with regard to shape, size, 

 movements, limbs, marks, eyes, color, age, etc., etc., which 

 are so various that it would fih a volume to describe ; and, 

 indeed, the best judges are often obliged to content them- 

 selves with guessing at some things, unless they have suffi- 

 cient time to make a thorough trial. If I were asked what 

 were the two most beautiful objects in nature, I would 

 answer, that woman, lovely woman, before whose charms 

 the soul of man bows with reverence and submission, stands 



