THE HORSE IN AUSTRALIA. 160 



The Head Shows Character. Aye ! very much as a 

 man's does. Vice is shown in the eye and mouth ; 

 intelligence in the eye and in the breadth between the ears 

 and between the eyes ; spirit in the eye and in the nose, in 

 the mobile nostril and active ear. The size of the eye, the 

 thinness of the skiu, making the face bony ; the large, 

 open, thin-edged nostril ; the fine ear, and the thin, fine 

 inane and foretop are indications of high breeding, and the 

 development cf a high-strung nervous organisation, which r 

 with good limbs and muscular power, ensures a considerable 

 degree of speed in the animal. The first of the two 

 shown in page 167 is high-strung and mettlesome, with an 

 untrustworthy eye and a vicious mouth a powerful animal of 

 great endurance, but, being wilful, is hard to control. The 

 other is equally high-bred, with great breadth of forehead, 

 a large, full, friendly eye, not lacking in spirit. The 

 bony face indicates blood, the ear and thin-edged nostril 1 

 show spirit, while the whole expression of the face abounds- 

 in docility, kindliness, and honesty. We candidly confess- 

 we should greatly hesitate in buying a horse with a bad 

 doubtful-looking nouutenance, though many worthy men 

 and many well-disposed horses are unfortunate in this 

 particular. Wo may not value a friend the less for it; but 

 it would certainly not induce us to form an acquaintance 

 with the man so arranged without cogent reasons for so 

 doing. Books tell us what a perfect horse is, but they 

 do not quite tell us where to find him. So we have to look 

 out. Get a bridle on the horse and test him in his stall first. 

 Give the strap a sudden sharp jerk. When the horse throws 

 his head up, holds his neck stiff and ears rigid, and his eye 

 assumes a glassy look straight out from either side, he is 

 the stamp likely to put his feet through the dashboard, or 

 his fore feet over the other horse's neck, the first time you 

 hitch him up. When yon harness up a horse, and he turns 

 his head round flat towards the side, and looks at you with 

 a meek, lamb-like expression as you take your place in the 

 seat, if you have not a temper that is "child-like and bland," 

 you will probably put a head on that horse that will make 

 him look differently before you get far on your journey. 

 Balking or jibbing horses are of two kinds those which 



