THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



plebeian order of mind and body ; the horse with a 

 straight, or Grecian nose, may be good or bad temper- 

 ed, but not often either to any great excess ; but a 

 hollow nose (a cocked one, as we should say, in speak- 

 ing of the human face) generally indicates some breed- 

 ing, especially if the head is small, but occasionally 

 accompanied by a vicious, uncontrollable disposition. 

 " There is another way, however," says Mr. Youatt, 

 " in which the nasal bones do more certainly indicate 

 the breed ; viz., by their comparative length or short- 

 ness. There is no surer criterion of a well-bred horse 

 than a broad, angular forehead, prominent features, 

 and a short face ; nor of a horse with little breeding 

 than a narrow forehead, small features, and lengthened 

 nose. The comparative development of the head and 

 face indicates, with little error, the preponderance of 

 the animal or intellectual principle." 



As the horse breathes only through the nose, it is 

 important that the openings into that cavity should be 

 free, and capable of dilating sufficiently to allow of 

 the passage of a large volume of air when the animal 

 is put to his speed. The expanded nostril is a strik- 

 ing feature in the blood horse, especially when he 

 has been excited and not overblown. What a sudden 

 effect is given to the countenance of the hunter, when 

 his ears become erect, and his nostrils dilate, as he first 

 listens to the cry of the hounds, and snorts and scents 



