176 HEAD AND NECK. 



are pricked forward. To show what diverse opinions exist 

 as to the ears of the horse, I give from different works on 

 conformation the two following extracts, which are far 

 from being in accord with each other. The reader, however, 

 can decide from his own practical experience as to their respec- 

 tive correctness. "There can be no greater ornament than 

 long, fine, active-looking, upright, tolerably close-set ears, with 

 the points a little inclined towards each other. I never saw a 

 soft constitutioned horse with ears of this description " {Dr. 

 Carson). MM. Goubaux and Barrier state : "It is a fact 

 worthy of notice that horses which have short ears are 

 always energetic and plucky. There seems to be a certain 

 relation between their length and the timidity of their 

 bearers. At least, this is the conclusion we may draw from 

 a comparison made among different kinds of animals, of 

 which the most timid and inoffensive have them greatly 

 developed. Carnivorous animals, on the contrary, have them 

 small. Short ears render the head lighter, and the ex- 

 pression of the face brighter, more expressive and more 

 pleasing to the eye. In this respect, the Arab horse greatly 

 excels English and continental animals. It is considered 

 a beauty for a horse to have his ears well directed to the 

 front at an angle of about 45° with the axis of the head. 

 Quick and energetic animals carry their ears in this manner. 

 To sum up, the ear is beautiful when it is short, directed to 

 the front, well placed, lean, fine, and covered with thin skin, 

 which should be adherent, and comparatively free from hair 

 in the interior of the ear." With respect to the ears being 

 " well directed to the front at an angle of about 45° with the 

 axis of the head," I may remark that such a carriage of the 

 ears, being produced by voluntary muscular effort, can be 



