136 THE HORSE. 



ther he goes wide enough behind, and whether his 

 feet stand straight. His reining too may be then 

 observed, and how he carries his head, which, if 

 thrust out, he will go heavy in hand. The mode in 

 which he is shod should be well observed, from the 

 knavish tricks which are occasionally played in that 

 respect, not to forget the exquisite barbarity known 

 to be practised by hellish miscreants upon a horse 

 lame of one foot, by driving a nail or peg into the 

 other, that, by the force of whip and spur, the horse 

 going alike with both, may momentarily assume the 

 appearance of soundness ! A second-hand horse, or 

 one which has been a considerable time in work, 

 may be warranted sound, but care should be used to 

 observe whether he knuckles with bent knees, or has 

 any other impending cause of unsoundness. Such 

 horses, beyond seven or eight years old, will gene- 

 rally appear stale and dingy in their coats, with 

 perhaps a mixture of grey hairs ; and a horse, low in 

 flesh and dull, with his coat dead, may be suspected 

 of rottenness. I once bought a mare in this state of 

 a noble Lord, which died rotten in three days after 

 the purchase, and was simpleton enough not to claim 

 a return of the purchase money. In course the 

 horse's mouth will be examined simultaneously with 

 his eyes. The naturally vicious horse will show it 

 in the leering and designing glances from his eyes, 

 not to be mistaken, and by laying back his ears ; the 

 kind and playful horse will also lay his ears, but with 

 indications from his eyes of a very opposite nature 

 to those of the former. It has been said of natural 

 vice or restiveness in the horse, however temporarily 



