52 THE HOUGHS IN LEAPING. THE HEAD. [BOOK I. 



whilst going, nods his head up and down a good 

 deal, as he does when these are either weak, tired, 

 or tender of foot: when they are very feeble, 

 without other ailment, he carries the head high 

 constantly; but he works his head from side to 

 side when the same subjects of complaint assail 

 the hind legs and feet and carries low. Poneys being 

 ever out of point in one or the other of these res- 

 pects, afford unerring proofs of those remarks. The 

 value and advantage of the straight position of a 

 horse's houghs are never more apparent than when 

 he rises upon his haunches to take a leap, a service 

 which never was performed satisfactorily by a cat- 

 hammed horse ; because he seems to hesitate about 

 what shall be the distance between his feet at the 

 precise moment they are to leave the ground ; a 

 blunder which is most visible in the standing leap, 

 when the feet are seen first to straddle to their 

 utmost ; in an instant they are brought so close 

 together as to lose all purchase, and he goes over 

 from an intermediate spot, the whole transaction 

 occupying as much time as does the counting of 

 one, two, three, and away ! 



The motions of the head are always good indi- 

 cations of pleasure as well as pain. A horse will 

 frequently throw up his head, almost in his rider's 

 face (as if to rebuke his barbarity,) when he has 

 been hit on the head, ears, neck, or poll. (See 

 Section 16.) He looks at his flanks dolorously 

 when affected by a dull pain in the intestines ; if 

 it be sharp pain t he turns about quicker ; he 

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