76 THE HORSE. 



rider being killed by his horse rolling heels over head 

 upon him unless that horse were upright in his shoulders. 

 Although I hate any horse approaching to a tumble- 

 down for any purpose whatever, I should prefer that a 

 saddle horse should fall with me on the road, though he 

 should cut himself to pieces, rather than I would risk 

 leaping with an upright-shouldered hunter. In severe 

 leaps there is more force required than in ordinary riding, 

 and therefore the obliquity is more needed. But I 

 would rather avoid both. I hate the action of these 

 horses. 



VICES. 



In speaking of the vices of horses, we must first observe 

 that a warranty of soundness does not infer that the 

 horse is free from vice, unless such be particularly 

 expressed. Next, you must bear in mind that a very 

 vicious horse may be a very sound one, and that, too, 

 because perhaps on account of his bad habits his owners 

 may have been afraid of using him. 



Vice may be either that which is dangerous to those 

 who have to do with the animal, being confined to either 

 the stable, to the work generally, or to only one partic- 

 ular kind of work; or it may be of a nature to effect only 

 the horse himself, or his master in a pecuniary point of 

 view, by lessening the value. Of such last may be men- 

 tioned wind-suckers, crib-biters, weavers, horses having 

 a determined trick of getting loose in the stable, (although 

 there may be a certain degree of innocence in their mis- 

 chief,) for they may be the cause of injury to themselves 

 or others. 



Kicking one another, or at people, either in their work 

 or at any other time, if with ill nature, is a VICE. 



Biting one another, or those about them, unless in 



