T^he Stable Handbook 



straight round legs reject him at once without more 

 ado. If the toes turn in that is a greater disad- 

 vantage than turning out. A speedy cut in front 

 is bad and worse still behind. My own idea as to 

 the latter defect is that I should not reject a 

 hunter for it, if I wanted him only for the 

 chase. But I should not take a general utility 

 horse with these defects of action. Many good 

 hunters are bad roadsters. Besides, the man 

 who wants to hunt cheaply must put up with a 

 good deal. 



I like a horse for general purposes to have not 

 only what are called good back ribs but rather a 

 round barrel and his hindlegs well placed, and 

 this may be judged by the eye first, but even more 

 by the action. If a horse brings his hindleg well 

 forward in the walk so that the print of the hind 

 shoe is in front of that of the fore then we may be 

 tolerably sure. Nor would I buy a horse that had 

 not good feet. I should prefer a foot approaching 

 what is called a donkey foot to a large weak hoof. 

 But in any case the hoof should be hard, shiny, 

 and smooth ; vertical corrugations make me doubt- 

 ful. The frog should be clean looking and elastic, 

 and free from smell. Corns are an absolute 

 disqualification for a utility horse, and should be 

 looked for carefully. For a horse that has hard 

 work to do I like a pastern with an easy slope, 

 and would forgive many defects sooner than an 

 upright short pastern. I have never rejected a 



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