16 THE HORSE. 



stitutions, whilst the latter as often indicate fineness of 

 texture and capacity for endurance. 



To the part of the head, between the eyes and the 

 ears, which is occupied by the brain, I, as a phrenolo- 

 gist, and from practical observation, attribute very 

 great importance. I have never yet seen a horse with 

 a sweet temper and tractable disposition that was very 

 flat, or hoUow, in the part of the forehead which lies 

 immediately under the front strap of the bridle, pro- 

 vided, at the same time, he was unusually wide be- 

 tween the ears. A horse of this description will be 

 sayage, sulky, and ill to train. You will be constantly 

 teaching him, and after all he is never properly taught. 

 I know (1848) a stallion with this defect, and he has 

 transmitted it to all his progeny which have come un- 

 der my observation. They are mostly aU manageable 

 to a certain extent, but I never saw one of them 

 brought to have a comfortable, silky, gentle disposi- 

 tion. On the other hand, a horse with a moderate 

 breadth of cro^vn, and a very prominent forehead at 

 the region of the brain, will be good-natured, kindly, 

 and docile. He can be taught an}i:hing, and when 

 once trained, he is trained for life. Hence the neces- 

 sity of teaching him gently and carefully at first, as 

 the habits which he may happen to acquire at the start 

 are seldom ever eradicated. Let it be particularly ob- 

 served, however, that an extremely narrow skull is by 

 no means desirable, as the horse would then be so timid. 



