424 



COMMON HORSE. 



Were persons the best qualified, to endeavour to 

 collect together the different beauties dispersed 

 among the different individuals, they might in- 

 deed compose a model of each species sufficiently 

 perfect to direct the painter or the statuary, but 

 would deceive any one who would venture to 

 choose an horse bv it for his own use. The fol- 

 {owing observations do not take for their object 

 tliose forms ^vhich please the eye at the first 

 glance; that appearance which vulgarly passes 

 for handsome ; but that mechanical construction 

 of the animal, from which result the possibility 

 and extent of those motions by the means of 

 which he is enabled to transport himself from one 

 place to another with greater or less speed ; and 

 consequently an horse may appear ugly to a vul- 

 gar eye, and be still well proportioned. Eclipse 

 was never esteemed handsome ; yet he was swift, 

 and the mechanism of his frame almost perfect. 

 Whoever compares his proportions with those in 

 the table above mentioned will discover the fol- 

 lowing differences. 



1. In that table the horse should measure 

 three heads in height, counting from the foretop 

 to the ground. Eclipse measured upwards of three 

 heads and a half 



2. The neck should measure but one head m 

 length : that of Eclipse measured a head and a 

 half 



* Viz. that hi use among the pupils of the Veterinary Schools of 

 France. 



