How to Purchase a Horse. 5 1 



are more fitted for the park and for show than for real 

 work, and command high prices. 



For general use horses of a more common description 

 will be preferred — less showy and with less action — the 

 better to stand the wear and tear of the hard roads, and 

 must be selected according to the work required of them. 

 Many of them are very fast, and can trot up to fifteen or 

 sixteen miles an hour. All must have a certain amount of 

 style and action to render them safe and pleasant to drive ; 

 but, as a rule, the higher and grander the action, the less 

 useful is the horse for real work — the wear and tear of 

 horses of this class being so great as almost to preclude 

 them from all that can be called " work," and they are 

 suitable only for the park and show. 



The most fashionable colours are bay, brown,-chestnut, 

 and black. The height will vary from 15 hands to 15 

 hands 3 in., according to the size and description of car- 

 riage he has to draw ; and the price will vary from ^50 

 to ^150, according to style and action. 



The Horse for Heavy Harness. 



Horses for this description of work are those that have 

 grown too large and coarse for carriage horses, and are 

 used principally to run in spring vans by railway carriers 

 and others requiring great strength combined with a cer- 

 tain amount of pace, and for which the cart horse is not 

 adapted from being too slow, and from his weight and 

 heavy action liable very soon to shake himself on the road 

 when put beyond a walking pace. Another sort is the 

 common, coarse, half-bred horse, too light for a cart horse, 

 and too plain and heavy for private carriages. These are 

 generally used in omnibuses, for which they are admirably 

 adapted, as, from their size and power, as well as being 

 for the most part active and on short legs, they can draw 

 these heavy machines, often loaded inside and out, at the 

 rate of six miles an hour — which is as fast as the frequent 

 stoppages, the bad foothold on the stones, and the crowded 

 state of our streets will admit. 



The height of the former will be from t6 hands to 17 



