122 THE HORSE. 



to a really good judge. His keen and well-trained eye 

 at once lights upon the sore spots. In his estimation 

 a few good points cannot make amends for radical de- 

 fects. He will choose the horse which can bear minute 

 examination, although there will be less show with 

 him, in all probability, than with the one which is good 

 here, and bad there. Hence we can easily account for 

 the fact, that the horse which pleases a good judge does 

 not generally satisfy the pubUc taste. 



Although not by any means faultless in all his points, 

 the far-famed Flying Dutchman was one of the best- 

 proportioned horses I ever saw. His style of gallop- 

 ing was consequently nearly perfect ; his form was so 

 good, and his points were so accm-ately balanced, that 

 he gave a person the impression of his having both 

 pace and distance. He was neither too light nor too 

 heavy, too large nor too small ; his fore-quarters were 

 in proportion to his hind-quarters, and his hind-quar- 

 ters in proportion to his fore-quarters ; his body was 

 not too hesivj for his legs, nor his legs too clumsy for 

 his body ; he always appeared to have his long and 

 beautifully-drooped hind-quarters well under him in the 

 gallop, whilst he had full command of his forelegs. His 

 action was so low, so smooth, so gi'aceful, and so per- 

 fect, that no person who saw it, as he swept along, 

 could fail to admu-e it, nor could he ever forget it. I 

 verily beheve he never had a superior ; and if I had 

 been in the place of that most honourable of sportsmen, 



