SUSPECTING A FRIEND^S SELECTION. 91 



sions^ or indeed admits of, very liigli, sliowy action ; 

 horses possessing such action will generally be 

 found to be somewhat small in the general size of 

 the knee, a little tied in under it, and very long in 

 the cannon bone. The shorter the fore-arm is the 

 higher the action will mostly be, and indeed will 

 always appear to be ; for when a limb thus formed 

 is lifted up, the knee is absolutely higher from the 

 ground than the one would be where the arm is 

 long, and the remainder of the leg short. I know 

 of no speedy animals that, take them as a genus, 

 have high grand action : nor do I know of any of 

 the speedy sort that are not short from the knee 

 down : this accounts for why I really would, as a 

 general rule, look for such formed legs in a horse 

 for show, as I should at once reject in the one 

 for hunting purposes or general use. 



" But to return,^^ said I, "to your horse Jerry: 

 I suspect from his condition he has not been long- 

 under the care of your late stud-groom.^^ 



My friend allowed he had only purchased him 

 a week before I saw him, and had got him out of 

 a hunting stud sold at TattersalPs. 



" Pray,^^ said I, " did you select this horse on 

 your own judgment ! for if so, pray accept my 

 compliments upon it." 



" AVhy, no," said my friend, " I did not. I 

 happened to meet a friend at TattersalPs, who 

 was talking to Mr. , who hunts with the 



