

BRAZILIAN HORSES. 



239 



occasions, that, by plunging, the horse gets rid 

 of both man and saddle, and is not again seen 

 for a length of time ; however, unless the girths 

 give way, he has little chance of throwing his 

 rider, for the Sertanejos are most excellent 

 horsemen. 



The horses are small, and some of them are 

 finely shaped, though little attention is paid to 

 the improvement of the breed. Great stress is 

 laid upon the colour, in the choice of these 

 animals; some colours being accounted more 

 demonstrative of strength than others. Thus a 

 cream-coloured horse, with a tail and mane of 

 the same colour, is rejected for the pack-saddle, 

 or for any kind of severe labour ; and if horses 

 of this description are sold for these purposes, 

 the price is lower than that of an animal of an 

 equally promising appearance in form and size, 

 of any other tinge : they are much esteemed if 

 well shaped, as saddle-horses, for short distances. 

 A cream-coloured horse, with a black tail and 

 mane, is reckoned strong. The horses that have 

 one fore-leg white, and the other of the colour 

 of the body, are supposed to be liable to stum- 

 ble. The usual colours are bay and gray ; but 

 chestnut, black, and cream-colour are less com- 

 mon ; those most esteemed for work are dark 

 bays, with black tails and manes, and grays 

 dotted with small bay spots. Stallions are 

 broken in both for the saddle and for carrying 



