10 THE HORSE 



head are that it may be too small or too large. 

 The reader may perhaps be surprised when we 

 say that the head can be too small, as popular 

 opinion is generally in favor of a small size of 

 this part. Too small a head may indicate weak 

 masticating muscles, and hence the owner may 

 suffer from a bad digestion ; and it may mdicate 

 small air-passages, and hence the breathing of the 

 horse may be unpaired. If, however, the small- 

 headed horse possesses a broad, flat forehead and 

 large open nostrils, he will not be likely to labor 

 under either of these disadvantages, and the small 

 head will be an advantage rather that the reverse. 

 A large head indicates cart-horse blood, and is un- 

 desirable, because a horse is apt to carry it badly, 

 and consequently put an undue proportion of 

 weight on the forehand. Apart from this, how- 

 ever, provided the horse has plenty of bone, a big 

 head is not particularl}^ objectionable, and no horse 

 need be refused because he is a little " plain." 



A fairly common pecidiarity is a prominence 

 between the eyes (convexity of frontals), which is 

 very objectionable, and generally indicates a bad 

 temper. A small or sunken " pig " eye and a Avail 

 eye (a ring of white round the iris) are also indi- 

 cations of a wayward temper and ungenerous dis- 



