188 PRECEPT AKD PEACTICE. 



support two half-hundreds on their little fingers for, 

 perhaps, a minute or so ; but they could not sustain 

 half the weight for a lengthened time ; so it is as 

 regards horses carrying weight. — There is another 

 thing that causes a vast difference in horses being 

 able to go under weight for which they do not ap- 

 pear calculated — this is the style or manner of their 

 going. A horse that, with good loins and strong 

 quarters, brings his haunches well under him, and is 

 what, in technical phrase, we call somewhat of a 

 * round goer,' will often carry, with ease to himself, a 

 weight that another horse, stronger in general appear- 

 ance, but who extends himself too much in his gallop, 

 could not live under. And again, people are some- 

 times a little hasty or injudicious in their judgment ; 

 they often cast a cursory look at a horse, and say he 

 has not bone enough. They, in short, judge a good 

 deal of his strength by his legs. Now, we all know 

 that a certain proportion of bone is not only desir- 

 able, but necessary ; but I have on various occasions, 

 when persons have remarked that some horses I have 

 had appeared deficient in bone, said, * Just grasp his 



