178 HEAD AND NECK. 



of the animal whose portrait it is. The prominent "buck- 

 eye " is generally regarded as an unfailing sign of short sight. 

 Horses which show a good deal of white in their eyes, as 

 the term is, are, with much justice, usually suspected of 

 being vicious ; for kickers, as a rule, uncover a portion of 

 the white of the eye (on the side to which the head is 

 turned), when they look back, ready to "let fly." This 

 justifiable suspicion is naturally heightened, if, at the same 

 time that the danger signal in the eye is displayed, the 

 ears are pressed back close on the neck, the front teeth are 

 exposed by the drawing back of the lips, and a hind foot 

 is kept raised off the ground. I may mention that, under 

 ordinary conditions, the human eye always shows a good 

 deal of white ; but that the horse's eye, as a rule, does not do 

 so, except when its glance is directed to the rear, or inwards. 

 Some game, honest horses (like St. Gatien, for instance) show, 

 without looking in a backward direction, a certain amount of 

 white of the eye, which, when it is of a constant reddish 

 tino-e is thouo-ht by some to mark hardiness of constitution 

 and staying power. 



Hollows above the Eyes. — The existence of deep 

 hollows above the eyes is objectionable ; for it denotes that 

 the animal is old and more or less worn out, or that either 

 its sire or dam was well advanced in years when it was bred, 

 and, consequently, that it is somewhat wanting in vigour. 



Nostrils. — The nostrils should be thin, flexible and of 

 large capacity, so as to suggest the possession of large air 

 passao-es. During rest, they should be more or less closed. 

 If they are kept constantly dilated when the breathing ought 



