COLOUR. 241 



those which are engaged at fast paces, should, within reason- 

 able limits, be as thin as possible, consistent with its being- 

 able to stand the friction and pressure of harness and 

 saddle-gear. 



Colour. — The colour of a horse's coat, as a rule, does not 

 seem to be of much importance, as far as his useful qualities 

 are concerned ; although we cannot help being favourably 

 impressed with those of rich and decided shades. Personally, 

 I admire most a dark chestnut, or a dark brown with a tinge 

 of rich claret-colour through it, as may be met with on rare 

 occasions. Dark, bright bays are also very pleasing to the 

 eye. Generally speaking, a horse looks best when his legs 

 below the knees and hocks, mane and tail are darker than 

 the rest of his coat. Bright chestnuts, with white stockings 

 and blaze, like many of the Blair Athol blood, form, perhaps, 

 an exception to this. I cannot help sharing the general dis- 

 like to '' mealy " chestnuts, and to bays and browns which are 

 lighter on the insides of the limbs and on the lower part of 

 the belly than on other portions of the body. The existence 

 of this partial deficiency of colouring matter in the skin seems 

 to infer want of nervous power ; for we must remember that 

 the distribution of pigment is greatly influenced by the 

 nervous system. The common belief that if one fore leg is 

 dark and the other white, the latter will be more apt to go 

 wrong than the former, holds good, I think, only as far as the 

 skin and hoof are concerned. Many persons consider black a 

 "soft " colour, except, indeed, in the case of cart-horses, which 

 are much admired when of that hue. The prejudice to which I 

 have just alluded is, probably, due to the fact of many animals 

 of this shade being " foreigners." Grey is, undoubtedly, an 



