THE STUD. 
589 
restricting his observations to “ merely stating the perfections to be 
sought for in the horse,” but has extended them to the “ imperfec¬ 
tions,” with the laudable intent of pointing out such as may be 
“ tolerated,” or, in other words, that, cceteris paribus, have no call 
to be raised as objections to purchase. 
“ Hence, startling as the idea may (to some) appear, this is not 
a work pretending to put the reader in the way of getting a perfect 
horse, but positively and unequivocally recommending, under cer¬ 
tain circumstances and in certain cases, the purchase of an imper¬ 
fect one.”— Preface. 
The writer who sets about to define in what excellence of form 
in horses consists has no easy or enviable task to perform; nor is 
his labour a little enhanced should he have it in design to teach 
others what he is persuaded in his own mind he has thoroughly 
learnt himself. Upon whatever principles he proceeds, whether 
physical or physiological, as far as they conduct him, he cannot, in 
the science of animal conformation and action, be led astray; but 
when he hears persons saying that “ horses go in all shapes,” and 
finds himself that he is continually deceived as to the form in 
which they best can or ought to go, he begins to suspect either the 
rectitude of his principles or the rectitude of the inquiry he has 
founded upon them. For his deductions to be valid his premises 
must be unquestionable; and as correct premises can emanate alone 
from established facts, in the instance where shape or make seems 
good enough to warrant good action and bad going results, it shews 
either that facts are unfounded, or that deductions are untrue, or 
else that circumstances intervene which operate upon the just and 
natural conclusions therefrom. One other consideration still there 
is which may, and frequently does, operate against the legitimate 
deduction of action from form, and that is, the harmony naturally 
subsisting in structure and action between the different parts of 
the locomotive animal apparatus, viewed as a machine, in its united 
and integral state. No animals are faultless in their make. Every 
horse has his imperfect as well as his perfect points. But when 
the perfect ones compensate for the imperfect ones, by counteract¬ 
ing or neutralizing their faulty operation, still is the action good 
and efficient; so, when the imperfect points spoil or counterbalance 
VOL. XXII. 4 I 
