HOW TO BUY A HORSE. 
403 
and its good points will depend upon their adaptation to 
particular kinds of work. The head in all the breeds 
should be fine, broad between the eyes, and tapering 
towards the nose ; the jaws ought to be clean, and not 
possessing too much flesh; the eye full, sparkling, and 
lively ; the nostrils rather large, open, and of a clear red ; 
the space underneath between the jaws should be roomy, 
and free from glandular swellings or lumps ; the ears should 
be well set into the head and pointed forwards, but not 
large; the neck should be well curved, lightly formed 
rather than muscular, and considerably arched beneath at 
its union with the jaws ; the shoulder should be high and 
sloping ; the withers should be of medium breadth, and not 
too high, as it will be found that high-withered horses are 
generally narrow in the chest, which is always a bad point, 
as not allowing sufficient scope to the lungs, and never so 
pleasing to the eye as a broad expanded front Still, some 
horses have proved both hardy and good in point of action 
with narrow chests ; but these have had depth to compensate 
for the want of breadth. However, there is a medium in the 
width of the chest, because great width is invariably accom¬ 
panied with want of action ; and such horses are better 
adapted for cart or farm purposes. 
The back should be short and somewhat arched across 
the loins ; the chest deep, and the ribs expanding, especially 
between the last rib and the huckle-bone, or hip, so as not 
to permit of a hollow betwixt them, which is always un¬ 
sightly to the eye, if it is not a physical defect. No feeding 
will fill up a hollow in that quarter; nor can a horse be 
pleasing to the eye which has not well-formed hind-quarters. 
These should be rounded and full, and the muscles of the 
hips well developed. A low rump is a characteristic feature 
of the Irish horse. This is termed among dealers goose- 
