1 4 The Compledt Horfeman : or y 



flat, and in a perpendicular Line to the Grounds 

 when the Horfe is iii his natural Pofture of [land- 

 ing; When the fnfteps ftand not perpendicularly it 

 is a certain fign of weaknefs either in the Reins, or 

 Hinder-quarters. 



A Horfe who hath good Feet before, hath feldont 

 bad behind, except by Accident. Therefore Peo- 

 ple look to the Hind. Feet but (lightly. 



There remains one vifible Imperfection to be con- 

 fider'd } that is, when the Legs are too long in pro- 

 portion to their Bodies, or the having too much Day- 

 light under their Bellies. It is beft judg'd by the fiye : 

 But to fatisfy the Curious, take a Thread and mea- 

 fure from the Withers to the Elbow } and whatever 

 length that is, he fliould have the fame difta nee be- 

 tween the Elbow and lower-part of his Heel. 

 Therefore many People meafure their Colts at a 

 Year old, and take the diftance from the lower-part 

 of the Heel to the Elbow, and fay, their Bodies 

 will always grow until there be the fame diftance 

 between their Elbow and Withers as there was be- 

 twixt the Elbow and Heel : Becaufe, fay they, at a 

 Year old a Colt hath its Legs as long as ever : Which 

 I have indeed obferv'd in fome, but not in all: And 

 the Duke of Newcaftle in his Book condemns this 

 Obfervation. 



CHAP. III. 



How to know a Horfe*s Age while he hath 

 Mark. 



WHen a Horfe is two Years old and a half, he 

 hath twelve Foal- teeth in the fore-part of his 

 Mouth ^ and about that time, or foon after, four of 

 them do fall, viz.. two above and two below, in the 

 very middle. (In fome Horfes they do not fall till 



three 



