Avery's own farrier. 197 



neck or point backwards, then look out for teeth and 

 heels, which are their weapons of war. Every horse 

 turns his eye as well as ear to that side from which he 

 hears a noise, and, when struck from behind, he turns his 

 ears backwards as an expression of dislike; or, in other 

 words, the ears always point the way he looks. 



" The notion of fire rolling within his nostrils, is 

 highly descriptive of the natural appearance of these 

 organs when the animal neighs, or is much excited. 

 This is occasioned by the unusual flow of blood which 

 becomes distinctly visible through the fin% membrane 

 with which the nostrils are lined." 



The steed, says Virgil, should first be accustomed to 

 see without fear the arms of the warrior in fight, and to 

 endure the clangor of the trumpet, to listen to the bridles 

 rattling in the stalls, and to hear the rumbling of the 

 chariots over the ground. And while yet a colt, he 

 should be soothed with kindly tones from his master's 

 voice, and gently patted on his neck till he comes to 

 rejoice in being commended and flattered. 



In training the colt for the ring or the chase^ the old 

 masters began with him at the age of three and four,* 

 and he was trained to run in the ring with measured 

 pace, to bend his legs with ease, and to prance in 

 " changeful curves." His speed was to be gradually 

 increased " till he seemed to challenge the wind as he 

 fled with ardour over the level meadow, unconscious of 

 his reins, skimming so lightly as scarcely to print the 

 surface of the sand." After being trained in the above 

 manner, the animal was to be fed plentifully with corn 

 and other fodder, until the body became large and robust. 



