v.. ^y i- 
 
 /^ 
 
t^O^TISPi^^^ 
 
 J'ublhsJud 2>y J. Ginger ^"i6p PiccadiUy, Odf^ido?. 
 
A TREATISE 
 
 ON THE 
 
 CAVALRY AND SADDLE 
 
 HOKSE % 
 
 WITH REMARKS ON 
 
 PACING AND LEAPING, 
 OBSERVATIONS ON BREEDING, 
 
 ^c, ^L\ 5Cr. 
 
 DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO 
 
 His Royal Highness the Duke of Yorky 
 
 Commander in Chief, &c. &c. 
 
 • By G. ORR, 
 
 LA.TE OF THE FENCIBLE CAVALRY. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED BY D.N. SHUR.Y, BERWICK STREET, SOHO; 
 FOK J. GINGER, 169, PICCADILLY, OPPOSITE 
 
TO 
 
 mS ROYAL HIGHNESS 
 
 THE DUKE OF YORK. 
 
 IF there be any merit in the follow- 
 ing Work, or if it excite sentiments in 
 the breasts of my countrymen such as 
 the importance of the subject demands, 
 I cannot place it under the patronage 
 and auspices of a character more es« 
 
 A 2 
 
IV DEDICATION. 
 
 teemed by the nation in general, and by 
 the army in particular, than your Royal 
 Highness. 
 
 I am convinced that any production 
 that may tend to promote the interests 
 of the country at large, and more 
 especially of that department over which 
 you preside with so much vigilance, 
 energy, and discretion, will receive your 
 cordial support and encouragement. 
 
 While I congratulate my fellow-sub- 
 jects on the acquisition of talents in 
 every official situation throughout the 
 Government, I must be allowed to hope 
 that your Royal Highness's pre-emi- 
 nence may remain the object of present 
 and future emulation; and that you may 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 long enjoy the honourable distinction 
 you now hold, of superintending the 
 military operations of the British em- 
 pire. 
 
 I have the honour to be, with the most 
 profound respect. 
 
 Your Royal Highnesses 
 Most obedient Servant, 
 
 THE AUTHOR, 
 
 A3 
 
* 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 IN ull military countries, (and every coun» 
 try that expects to preserve its liberty, its pro- 
 perty, and independence, should possess a 
 military force sufficient to counteract the sud- 
 den aggressions of ambitious and restless 
 neighbours,) a spirit of emulation prevails, in a 
 greater or lesser degree, to give to its armies 
 the commanding appearance vi^hich the nature 
 of their occupation deserves ; 2Uid it must be 
 confessed, that the conclusion of the last and 
 the commencement of the present centuries, 
 have afforded ample scope to the talents of 
 those men, vv^hose genius is constantly on the 
 alert to suggest improvements, and Vv^hose ex- 
 perience, entitles them to confidence. There 
 A 4 
 
ViU PREFACE. 
 
 is no art or science that requires more Industry 
 and perseverance so render completej than that 
 v/hich has for its object the permanency of a 
 government, the resistance of ambition, and 
 the preservation of existence. But it is not 
 essential that the men alone of an army should 
 exhibit a warlike feature. To them belong, 
 .undoubtedly, the power to guide and to urge; 
 ,but independently of the necessity of good 
 qualities and a dignified appearance, there are 
 times when the energy, Hie power, and the 
 expedition of the horse are indispensable to 
 the accompHshment of an object. Too much 
 pains, therefore^ cannot be bestowed in select- 
 ing, for the use of the cavalry, such animak 
 as are, in every respect, qualified for the pur- 
 pose: and it is respectfully suggested, that the 
 maxims of choice recommende4 in the subse- 
 quent pages will be the means, not only of 
 introducing into the military ranks such horses 
 as are best adapted to the service, but of frus- 
 trating the infamy of those individuals who, 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 regardless of a real interest for the country, 
 provide for its defenders such horses as are 
 unfit even for the meanest employ. But the 
 alurements of profit will lead to peculation. 
 
 What has been said of pleasuve-horses, and 
 those for agricultural and other uses, must be 
 too obvious to require any further observation. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAP. L 
 On the size, figure, ^c. of cavalry and 
 saddle horses Page i 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 On the foot - 5 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 How a horse ought to stand ---- 13 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 On the legs 16 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 On the hind feet and legs .-----.-.-.. 19 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 On the head, ears, eyes, &c. ---...--.. 21 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 On the neck 25 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 X)n the crest ---.,..-...... 27 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 On the mouth ^^Z^ 29 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 On the shoulder 31 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 On the chest .-..-. 34 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 On the bosom 35 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 On the farehand - 37 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 On the back 41 
 
 CHAP. XV, 
 On the quarters - 43 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 On the belly - 45 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 On the hips - - - 46 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 On the tail - 47 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 On the body, or carcase ^ - ... - . - . ,' 51 
 
CONTENTS. Xlll 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 On the eyes Page 5^ 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 
 On colour 56 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 On the colour of the face 63 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 On cropping and foxmg 65 
 
 CHAP. XXIV., 
 On standing 68 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 On the walk 73 
 
 CHAP. XXVI. 
 On the trot 77 
 
 CHAP. XXVII. 
 On the canter and gallop 88 
 
 CHAP. XXVIil. 
 On ambling, and the shuffling or running 
 trot 98 
 
 CHAP. XXIX. 
 On lameness loo 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XXX. 
 On the motion of the croupe and hind 
 
 quarters Page los 
 
 CHAP. XXXI. 
 
 On the difference between stalHons, mares 
 and geldings, in point of -^ivice 106 
 
 CHAP. XXXII. 
 On horses proper for light h irness 1 09 
 
 CHAP. XXXIII. 
 On external blemishes iii 
 
 CHAP. XXXIV. 
 On the wind 114 
 
 CHAP. XXXV. 
 On hogging 118 
 
 CHAP. XXXVI. 
 On the shapes of stallions, mares, and 
 geldings 12 ^ 
 
 CHAP. XXXVII. 
 On restive horses, and the metliod of cor- 
 recting them ^ iOA 
 
 CHAP. XXXVIII. 
 On shoeing ..... lo^ 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 CHAP. XXXIX. 
 On feeding and exercise Page 152 
 
 CHAP. XL. 
 On saddles, and saddle-cloths 161 
 
 CHAP. XLI. 
 On stables and clothing 169 
 
 CHAP. XLII. 
 On breaking cavalry, saddle-horses, and 
 horses of every description 175 
 
 CHAP. XLIII. 
 To know the age of a horse by his teeth; 
 and some general directions to ascertain 
 his age aft'2r he has lost the mark of 
 mouth 184 
 
 CHAP. XLIV. 
 
 General observations on horses that are 
 aged, or past the mark of mouth 188 
 
 CHAP. XLV. 
 
 On choosing horses and mares for breeding 192 
 
 CHAP. XLVI. 
 On riding .- --.-. 200 
 
Xvi CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XLVII. 
 On leaping t Page 208 
 
 CPIAP. XLVIII. 
 Conclusion 214 
 
 A TREATISE 
 
A 
 
 TREATISE, 
 
 ■^MiM^— ■ ■■Ill III ■ III |- 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 ON THE SIZE, FIGURE, 8iC, OF CAVALRY Arfb 
 SADDLE HORSES. 
 
 A HE horse now under consideration is that 
 of the middle size, viz. from fourteen and a 
 half to sixteen hands high : but in choosing 
 one nt for action and service, fifteen hands 
 or fifteen and a half is the size best adapted to 
 those purposes. Experience teaches us, that 
 the position now laid down is correct ; and 
 the observation is not applicable to horses only-j 
 but to the human race also. Men, from five 
 feet six to five feet ten inches in height, that 
 is, from the lowest to the highest of the 
 middle size> are most capable of bearing the 
 
fatigues of labour. The saddle and cavalry 
 horse, if he exceed sixteen hands, is always 
 considered to be over-sized j and unless his 
 qualities be good, and his strength proportion- 
 ate, he ought in general to be rejected as unfit 
 for service. It is certainly true that a horse 
 should be chosen v/ith bodily powers adequate 
 to the weight which he is intended to bear ; 
 but if he be too bulky and long in the legs, the 
 weight of the rider, added to his own, will in 
 a short time prove destructive. 
 
 In the earlier ages, prior to the invention of 
 gunpowder, horsemen wore ponderous armour. 
 The man, therefore, must have possessed great 
 muscular powers to enable him to sustain his 
 burthen; and the animal, to support both, 
 must have been such as those now used for 
 drays, waggons, &c. For a considerable pe- 
 riod also after a revolution in military tactics 
 •was effected by the use of gunpowder, large 
 horses were still retained, because the evolu- 
 tions of the cavalry being little known, the 
 horse were particularly employed in making 
 heavy charges on the army of an enemy ; for 
 which purpose large horses were found to be 
 most effective. Latterly, however, for a variety 
 
of reasons, tliey have fallen into disuse; and 
 except for the draught of heavy artillery, the 
 baggage, and other laborious purposes, they 
 are totally laid aside, and those of a smaller 
 size have been substituted. Every thing of a 
 heavy and unweildy nature in the army is 
 now done away ; and as the cavalry is more 
 efhployed in scouring the country, foraging, 
 reconnoitring, cutting off a retreat, &c. than 
 in making heavy charges on an enemy's lines, 
 the lighter the dragoons are mounted, the bet- 
 ter. The horses, therefore, that seem best 
 adapted for military service, are those from' 
 fifteen to fifteen hands and a half, for the 
 light regiments ; and from fifteen and a half to 
 sixteen, where the men are larger and heavier. 
 If men be mounted higher than sixteen hands, 
 they will, generally speaking, be badly mount- 
 ed •, for nine out of ten horses that exceed 
 that size will have but little spirit and action, 
 and are only fit for the purposes of draught and 
 agriculture. If dragoons be mounted too low, 
 the effect will be bad : but of the two evils, 
 the latter is the least, as small horses will be 
 more easily kept in condition, will bear more 
 fatigue, and live on less food than those which 
 
 B 2 
 
are over-sized. Thus we find from observa- 
 tion and experience \vh2it size is the most 
 proper for horses that are intended either for 
 the army or the road, the sports of the field, 
 or the various purposes of pleasure. Having 
 therefore fixed on the middle-size as the stand- 
 ard for use and action, we shall proceed to ex- 
 amine the component parts of the anim^, en- 
 deavouring to shov/ how they ought to be 
 formed to ensure good a£lion, and pointing 
 out those whose figure, qualities, and general 
 'Appearance will recommend to preference. 
 
CHAP. 11. 
 
 ON THE FOOT. 
 
 AS the foot of the horse has to sustain so 
 frreat a weight, we shall begin with this part ; 
 and particular attention should be paid to it, 
 in choosing a horse. The foot ought rather 
 to be of a round than a long form, and 
 sufficiently large, but not out of proportion. 
 The consequences attending too small a hoof 
 are •, first, the animal will stand unsteadily ; 
 secondly, the sensible foot wiM not be suffi- 
 ciently protected ; thirdly, he will become 
 tender and crippled before, from the sensible 
 part being too much exposed to stones and 
 gravel, which the horse feeling acutely, will 
 step with seeming caution and timidity, and 
 will not put his feet forward courageously, as 
 those with good hoofs and fctt ought to do ; 
 but will creep in an aukward manner, as if 
 walking on ice. 
 
 It has been observed, that the foot ought to 
 B3. 
 
be of a round rather tlian a long fornij because 
 long feet are more liable to contract in the 
 heel. There should be a good distance or 
 depth from the centre of the coronet to the 
 toe, and so round the whole circumference of 
 the hoof to the heel ; the crust, however, 
 narrowing gradually, till it arrives at the 
 hed, where it is narrowest of all. What are 
 called mule-footed horses, nam.ely, those that 
 have very deep and high hoofs, scarcely ever 
 become lame, or founder in the feet, because 
 they have plenty of covering to protect the 
 sensible hoof. The Arabian horses are almost 
 all hoofed in this manner : but horses, thus 
 hoofed, should bend their k^es well, which 
 is generally the case with Ari^ian horses ; 
 otherwise the hoof, being so long and deep, 
 would not go clear of the ground, and their 
 heels, being very high, would also be an ob- 
 stacle to straightening the knee figaj&ti they 
 would therefore, unless they have,good''<^ion, 
 trip, and come down. - \, ' 
 
 A horse, whose foot is too long ^t ther t^ 
 should bend his knees and pastern joints weiF 
 and freely, or there will be great danger of 
 breaking them. If the foot of a horse be too 
 
large, that is to say, dish-footed, and the hoof 
 too broad and thin, it will be very dei:rimental 
 to his action ; the feet will interfere with each 
 other, and he will cut before at the fetlocks 
 and pastern joints. A horse with such a foot 
 will soon be tired by its weight-, and if out 
 cf condition, will entangle his legs, and occa- 
 sion his falling j and when this happens, the 
 rider's life will be in great danger, as the horse 
 may roll on him ; or even if he disengage him- 
 self, may receive a kick in the animal's efforts 
 to rise ; and many persons lose their lives by 
 accidents of this sort. 
 
 Having examined the hoof all round outside^ 
 it. now becomes necessary to examine the foot 
 also, and to observe the sole and heel. The 
 heel across at the extremities, should be open 
 and wide. If the heel be too narrow, it is 
 either. naturally so, or occasioned by disease. 
 If itrhQ natural and sound also, it is of little 
 con-gequence 5 but if from disease and contrac- 
 tion, it is a sufficient reason for rejecting the 
 horse altogether. There may be some good 
 horses with narrow heels, but the number will 
 be found to be inconsiderable ; and unless their 
 action be good, whicli is seldom the case with 
 
 B4 
 
horses whose heels are thus formed, they never 
 should be chosen for the cavalry or saddle. 
 It should be carefully observed that the sole be 
 neither flat, soft, nor depressed, which indicate 
 that there is not sufficient strength to support 
 the weight of the horse. The frog and bars 
 should be hard, and free from every appearance 
 of disease. The black or dark-coloured hoof 
 is the best. The colour of the hoof is generally 
 determined by that of the legs ; white hoofs 
 being almost invariably the attendants of white 
 legs. The nearer the legs of chesnut horses 
 approach to a blackish complexion, the harder 
 and better v/ill be the hoof. Bays and browns 
 of all shades have invariably black legs, conse- 
 quently good black hoofs. The firmness of 
 the hoof is an essential object, from the pro- 
 tection which it affords to the sensible foot, as 
 well as the strength necessary to support the 
 rider, and to keep the shoe. Farriers, who 
 are in the daily habit of paring hoofs, will 
 confirm this position, as they well know, by 
 the facility or difficulty of the operation, which 
 hoofs are the best. There should be no signs 
 of thickness or sv/elling at the junction of the 
 hair and the hoof. This part is called the co* 
 
fonef ; and if any symptoms of this kind ap- 
 pear, the horse will soon have the ringbone. 
 The hoof and the hair should unite closely all 
 round. 
 
 Horses with low heels and long hoofs have 
 not handsome feet ; but it will be observed,, 
 that such horses generally bend and straighten 
 their knees with freedom, and do not appear to 
 be cramped in the shoulder. If a horse have 
 white hoofs, with black spots round the coro* 
 net, it is a favourable sign, and the hoof will 
 be sufficiently hard to keep the shoes ; nor 
 will there be any danger of his becoming ten- 
 der-footed. Some horses have naturally very 
 narrow heels ; and the heels of others become 
 contracted from bad shoeing, from the feet 
 being kept too dry, from a weakness of the 
 bars, and from various other causes. The 
 bars form an acute angle in front of the frog at 
 the heart of the foot, and join the wall or crust 
 at the heel. The hoof or coffin of every horse's 
 foot, as far as we sec it externally, is divided 
 ^us: — The whole horny substance outside is 
 called the wall or crust \ the point in front at 
 the ground is denominated the toe-, the sides are 
 sailed the quarters •, and the upper part, join^ 
 
lO 
 
 ing the hair, is termed the coronet. The sole 
 is attached to the frog in the middle, the bars 
 on each side forming an acute angle, and join- 
 ing the quarters at the heels. The whole ex- 
 terior horny substance, as well as the sole, 
 incloses the sensible foot, and is called the hoof 
 or coffin. 
 
 Some horses, as before observed, have nar- 
 row heels : these, though not desirable, are 
 better than when they become close by mis- 
 management, disease, or a failure of the 
 moisture which should flow from the sensible 
 foot through the small nerves, pores, and art- 
 eries, for the nourishment of the horny and 
 elastic substance which protects the sensible 
 foot. "When this nourishment fails, on ac- 
 count of the horse becoming disordered in his 
 limbs, or from the feet being kept too dry, it 
 hardens the crust too much ; and by not re- 
 ceiving proper nourishment, the heels become 
 contracted. If the hoof be taken from the 
 foot of a horse as soon as he is dead, and hung 
 up, it will contract, particularly at the heels 
 or extremes of the quarters 5 whereas, if kept 
 moist, it will retain its natural form and elas- 
 ticity. This proves that th.e heels contract for 
 
II 
 
 ^v'ant of moisture and nourishmentj and Is the 
 reason the feet have so many disorders. In very 
 hot and sandy countries horses are generally 
 mule-footed; the heel, however, in breadth, 
 bearing a proper proportion to the foot. The 
 cause of this seems to be, that the foot, being 
 constantly in a heated state, £roxp. the warmth 
 of the ground, the hoof gradually becomes 
 hard ; and the softest of the horny part being 
 unable to receive, on account of its dryness, 
 the subtile fluids that should pass to it, in 
 order to give it moisture, they are stopped in 
 their progress, and assimilate themselves to the 
 more insensible parts of the sensible foot, or, 
 in other words, to the most sensible parts of 
 the hoof, unite with the upper part of the 
 horny substance, and continue to deepen the 
 crust till nature places a sufficient protection 
 under the sensible foot, and until the heat of 
 the ground is unable any longer to affect it. 
 
 All Arabian horses, and those of other hot 
 cHmates, have their feet thus formed. Their 
 heels are not close, though they appear so, as 
 they are proportioned to the breadth of the foot. 
 Asses, mules, and mule-footed horses never 
 have any gumminess, cracks, or sores about 
 b6 
 
S2. 
 
 their heels, but their legs are clean ajid bony i 
 the reason of which Is, that the subtile juices* 
 which cause breaking-out about tlie feet and 
 heels of other horses, and which should give 
 nourishment to the hoof and sensible foot, are 
 retarded by a defect in the arteries which 
 should convey them to the parts to which they 
 are naturally destined. It may also be observ- 
 ed, that when the pasterns are affected, the 
 hoofs begin to shrink and the heels to con- 
 tact from privation of moisture. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 HOW A HOUSE OUGHT TO STANI>. 
 
 THE^ standing position of a horse ought to 
 be particularly attended to. Lead him out on 
 an even piece of ground, place yourself before 
 him, and observe the toes of his fore feet. 
 They should point directly forward. If a 
 horse turn his toes out, he will cut at the fet- 
 locks, from the heel of one foot striking against 
 the other, which no caution can prevent. 
 
 Horses, whose toes turn out in this manner, 
 £Ut themselves very severely when they are out 
 of condition, or fatigued ; and it may frequent- 
 ly be observed that grooms put a strong ring of 
 leather round the fetlock, to protect it : but 
 this practice is dangerous, as it may occasion 
 the animal to trip and come down. The best 
 protection is a boot of leather laced close to the 
 leg. Every person, therefore, who buys a 
 horse, should carefully observe his manner of 
 standing on his fore feet. Horses bru^h be- 
 
14 
 
 hind, which is the same as cutting before ; but 
 the former is not of such consequence as the 
 latter, as it is generally remarked that the fore 
 and hind legs move in the same direction. 
 When dealers purchase a horse whose fetlocks 
 have been injured by cutting, they keep him 
 in the stable till the wounds are healed •, hence 
 those who are unacquainted with the proper 
 form of the animal too frequently become the 
 dupes of artifice. 
 
 Some horses point their toes inwardly; but 
 a greater numbei* turn them out. There is 
 an inconvenience, however, attending those of 
 the former description •, which is, that by 
 twisting one foot over the other, the shoulders 
 roll, and the rider is very much shaken: but 
 there is no apprehension of cutting, unless 
 the chest be too narrow. If this be the case, 
 he is liable, on the extended trot, to give him- 
 self the speedy cut under the knee, and come 
 down. A good horse, however, ought not to 
 be rejected on account of turning his toes in- 
 wards. 
 
 The best standing position of a horse, there- 
 fore, is straight and upright, his toes pointing 
 directly forward j and the reascii is obvious j for 
 
*5 
 
 the animal thus formed supports himself and 
 his burthen mathematically on every joint ; but 
 in the other cases, the weight of tlie horse falls 
 unequally on his limbs, and he moves auk- 
 wardly and with difficulty. The same general 
 rule holds with respect to men, and all other 
 animals; distortion and bad formation injures 
 action. 
 
\6 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 ON TBE LEGS. 
 
 THE leg of the horse Is now to be consider- 
 ed ; and, next to the foot, its exertions are the 
 greatest •, therefore it must be particularly at- 
 tended to. A horse*s leg should have strength 
 proportioned to his body, that is to say, he 
 should have a great deal of bone from the 
 knee doM^nv^^ard ; and that part of the leg 
 which is called the arm, viz. from the knee 
 upwards, should be very strong and muscular.. 
 The lower part of the leg should be free from 
 flesh at the fetlocks and pasterns, and clean 
 and hard down to the hoof ; for if the legs be 
 too fleshy, they will, after severe exercise, puff 
 and swell, and this, in a short time, will oc- 
 casion cracked and broken heels, if they are not 
 kept clean by being washed at least twice a day, 
 and if care be not taken that they do not stand 
 in their own dung v/ater. The pastern ought not 
 
i7 
 
 to be too long ; for if It be, the horse, 
 though very pleasant to ride, will neither be 
 strong nor speedy. The pastern, therefore, 
 ought rather to be short and bony. The 
 hair should be trimmed close from the legs of 
 cavalry and saddle horses, for the following 
 reasons ; first, the legs and pasterns are more 
 easily cleaned; secondly, the air acts more freely 
 on the skin, renders it firm and hard, and braces 
 the sinews ; and lastly, it gives them a cleaner 
 appearance about the legs. In a Treatise 
 recently published, the author, in contradic- 
 tion to the experience of ages, disapproves of 
 cutting any of the hair from the legs of a horse> 
 assigning for a reason, that the hair protects 
 the heel from the sand and stones, which 
 might injure it ; but tlie fact is, the hair 
 is injurious; and every person well acquaint- 
 ed with horses will bear testimony to the as- 
 sertion, that those which have a great deal of 
 hair on their legs and pasterns are the most 
 liable to have cracked and greasy heels ; and 
 it may be observed, that the Arabians are the 
 cleanest horses about the legs ; for the hair 
 is naturally so short on their legs and pascenis> 
 that they have the appearance of being trim- 
 
i8 
 
 ined close. The leg?, when dry, should be 
 rubbed at night with an oiled sponge, which 
 v/ill moisten them, and keep the skin soft and 
 pliant. Large draught horses, and those used 
 in agricuhure, may have the hair left on their 
 legs, but they ought to be well washed every 
 night. 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 ON THE HIND FEET AND LEGS. 
 
 THE same observations will apply to the 
 hind feet and legs as to the fore feet and legs 
 of a horse, except that he may point his 
 hind toes a Httle outward, without brushing, 
 if he stand wide behind, and if his hoofs be 
 not too large : but when that is the cnse, the 
 animal, if he bo cat-hammed or close, will 
 certainly brush j and to prevent this as much 
 as possible, a very different practice should 
 be adopted in the operation of shoeing. In 
 shoeing horses that brush much, the farrier 
 generally makes the hind foot shoe thin in- 
 side, which throws the heels closer together : 
 but if, instead of this, the slioes were made 
 thicker inside than on the outside, the horse 
 would stand wider, and be prevented from 
 brushing. Horses most liable to brush are 
 those which are called cat-hammed j that is, 
 those which stand with their hind legs close 
 
20 
 
 together like a cat. They are frequently very 
 serviceable, and generally excel in a rising 
 leap, for these reasons, that their hind legs, 
 being close together, act more powerfully in 
 support of each other than those which stand 
 wide J and also that there is a better spring in 
 their hams. 
 
21 
 
 CHAP. VL 
 
 ON THE HEAD, EARS, EYES, &C. 
 
 HAVING examined the feet and limbs of 
 the horse, we shall proceed to the other extre- 
 mities ; for, as much is required in the feet 
 and legs, in order that the horse may be able 
 to support himself, and carry his rider with 
 spirit, so also the head is a material object for 
 consideration ; for its shape snd countenance 
 very strongly indicate his spirit and temper. 
 With respect to the head of a cavalry or saddle 
 horse, it cannot be too small , and it may be 
 laid down as a general maxim, tliat no horse 
 with a large head and heavy cheek will ever 
 answer for the purposes of the saddle. These 
 marks pronounce him to be of a sluggish tem- 
 per^ and denote bad action and want of blood. 
 The outline of a horse's face should be as strait 
 as possible from the pell to the muzzle. A 
 head thus formed will have a fine expressive 
 
22 
 
 countenance, and be sprightly in action. The 
 moreeUptical and curved the Hneof the face, the 
 more stupid and heavy w^ill be the animaL The 
 handsomest head is that of the English blood 
 horse, vvdiich is shorter, and thicker round the 
 eyes than the Arabian. The forehead is also 
 flatter, and the outline of the face straighter. 
 The Arabian's head is something longer, not 
 t;o broad nor fiat between the eyes, and a little 
 narrower across the jaw-bone ; the outline of 
 the face also falls away from the straight, to- 
 ward the muzzle. 
 
 The head of the common labouring horse is 
 ugly, heavy, and void of expression ; but it is 
 of little consequ!;nce, as too much sensibility 
 would be rather detrimental to horses designed 
 for draught or agricultural purposes . Nothing 
 is required of them but labour, and for this 
 alone they are qualified by nature. The most 
 common-shaped head to be found among 
 horses of the coach size is what is called the 
 Norman head, which is large, and the outline 
 of the forehead more or less curved. Such 
 horses would be of little use to the cavalry or 
 for the saddle. The muzzle of every spirited 
 horse is small, and his nostrils thin, red, and 
 
23 
 
 wide when put into action. The jaw-bones 
 ought to stand wide behind, close to the neck, 
 in order that the windpipe and small of the 
 neck may faU in between them, which gives 
 him the power of carrying his head in a grace- 
 ful manner without interruption to breathing. 
 
 A small head will never deceive the judge- 
 ment. On such a head the ears are compact, 
 and their motion quick and sprightly The eye 
 is full, rather roundish, and of a fiery red; and 
 ill v/inking, the eyelids move with rapidity, 
 which shews that the horse is in high health 
 and spirits, and of good courage. The eye of 
 a sluggish horse is always more long than 
 round, heavy, and shev/s little of the v/hite, 
 which has a dull reddish cast,, and tlie motion 
 of the eyelids is very slow; their ears are heavy, 
 loose, and insensible to noises of any kind. 
 
 When a horse is ill, his eye becomes faint 
 and half closed, and he is altogether spiritless 
 and dull. The heads of horses are variously 
 set on, which is chiefly owing to the formation 
 of the neck. Some necks fall away at the 
 withers, and so on towards the ears. These 
 are called goat-necked-, star-gazers are such 
 as throw their face quite upwards towards the 
 
«4 
 
 sky, and from sn extraordinary elevation of the 
 head while travelling, seem to view the heaven* 
 only; but they are generally sure footed, bend 
 their knees well, and are good tempered. It 
 may be also observed, that these horses fre- 
 quently toss their heads up and down so as to 
 throw the foam from their mouth into the 
 rider's face 5 the cause of this motion is ima- 
 gined to be a defect in the windpipe, arising 
 from the form of the neck, which presses it at 
 the ears and near the chest ; and this motion 
 is supposed to give facility to respiration. 
 
 Attempts have been made to remedy this 
 unpleasantness by the use of a martingal, 
 and by bracing the head tight down. This 
 is not only an act of cruelty, but useless, 
 as the defect is natural, and is as irremediable 
 as cutting, or brushing. Fastening the head 
 will crar.ip the motions of the horse, and de- 
 prive hira of the flexibility which is necessary 
 to his bteathing freely. The only good that 
 can result from such an experiment will be to 
 prevent his throwing up the foam on his rider. 
 
 Horses of this description are generally long 
 necked, rather fine mouthed, and consequently 
 light in hand; but being cross made, they can- 
 not be reckoned handsome, 
 
CHAP. VH. 
 
 ON THE NECK. 
 
 THE handsomest neck Is that which rises 
 regularly from the withers upwards, and which, 
 a little more than half way toward the ears, 
 forms a curve, with a bold crest, until it ends 
 close to the head, forming nearly an horizontal 
 line. The smaller the upper part of the neck, 
 the greater the beauty, and the horse exhibits 
 more blood. When the hair of the mane is 
 long and light, inclining to a natural curl, and 
 the flesh hard and muscular, it indicates a good 
 spirit. The neck, however, must not be too 
 thin, nor seem as if it were too small and die- 
 proportioned to the body of a horse; — this ij 
 a sign of weakness: neither should it be too 
 long, or too short; if the former, it also, indi- 
 cates weakness and delicacy; and unless the 
 animal carries his forehand well up, he will 
 droop his head when tired. A short, stiff and 
 c 
 
26 
 
 fat neck is called a pig-neck, wKicli denotes 
 hardness of the mouth, and stubbornness of 
 temper. When the neck of a horse falls away 
 from the ears to the withers, and he has no 
 crest, it is called a goat-neck, camel-neck, &c. 
 and it is reckoned ugly. Such necks awell out 
 greatly under the windpipe, and seem to be 
 turned upside down, as the curve which ought 
 to be above is underneath. 
 
 The neck cannot be too light at the small or 
 setting on of the head j and it ought to increase 
 gradually, until it arrive at the upper part of 
 the fore-thighs or arms, and fall in flat with 
 the shoulders. 
 
 What has been said on this subject alludes 
 to the necks of mares and geldings only. The 
 neck of an entire horse is generally more fleshy 
 and muscular; but even some of these are 
 much handsomer in this part than others, and 
 not too thick, or too much loaded with spongy 
 flesh. 
 
*7 
 
 CHAP. Vlil. 
 
 ON THE CREST* 
 
 THE crest of a horse is the highest, and 
 most curved or arched part of the neck, under 
 the mane; and well made, spirited horses ex- 
 hibit a proud and bold crest. A horse, how- 
 ever, with the finest possible crest may lose it, 
 and become what is called crest-fallen; that is, 
 his neck in this part under the hair loses its 
 muscular power, and does not support the 
 mane. This proceeds from low condition and 
 too severe exercise. Good feeding and rest 
 will restore a horse to his spirits and his 
 strength in those parts. We may observe that 
 all horses which show no crest are patient, dull, 
 heavy, and spiritless; such are, for instance, 
 the ass, the mule,- the dromedary, the camel, 
 znd goat, or ewe-necked horses; they are, 
 however, good enough for certain purposes, 
 . ^d .suffering them to use their peculiar paces, 
 c 2 
 
28 
 
 will perform slow work or drudgery exceed- 
 ingly well J but in choosing for the cavalry or 
 saddle, a horse should have an erect and bold 
 crest, which is a sure sign of spirit and 
 action. 
 
29 
 
 GHAP. IX. 
 
 ON THE MOUTHc 
 
 EVERY part of the horse demonstrates 
 some peculiar qualitiesj and none more than 
 the mouth. A horse is reckoned hard mouthed 
 when he bears much on the bit without obey- 
 ing it, and is heavy in hand. This is ex- 
 tremely unpleasant, as well as painful and 
 laborious to the rider, and such horses are gene- 
 rally sluggish, stubborn, and ill-tempered, 
 thick necked, stiff, and aukward in their mo- 
 tions, easily frightened, very indiiFerent in their 
 paces, and are perpetually gaping, and swal- 
 lowing the bit. They are for the most part 
 thick winded, or narrow in the windpipe, and 
 they open their mouths to assist respiration. 
 On the contrary, a horse with a fine mouth 
 champs and plays with the bit briskly, vibrates 
 his nose with quickness, and goes forward 
 c 3 
 
with courage *, he scarcely ever becomes restive, 
 and does his work pleasantly. No exertion is 
 required to manage such a horse, as the slight- 
 est check is understood by the animal, and the 
 rider is instantly obeyed. 
 
CHAP. X. 
 
 ON THE SHOULDER. 
 
 IN daught horses, the heavier and stronger 
 the shoulder the better ; but in saddle, cavalry, 
 and curricle horses, quite the reverse. A horse 
 for the latter purposes should have a light 
 shoulder, as wdl as a light head and cheek; 
 the shoulder ought to be very firm, hard, and 
 muscular, falling off light and fine tov/ards 
 the withers. There are two sorts of slioul- 
 ders; one called an upright shoulder, the 
 other sloping gradually to the back : the shoul- 
 der blade bone of the former is very upright, 
 seems to move stiffly, and has not the proper 
 play for action: such a shoulder generally ac- 
 companies too wide a chest, is exceedingly 
 thick, and loaded with superfluous flesh; it is 
 a natural defect, and the horse with such a 
 shoulder will never be fit for the saddle: he 
 may do for slow purposes, such as carrying 
 04 
 
32 
 
 timid cr aged riders, but v/ill not suit a mors 
 sprightly equestrian; besides, if hurried be- 
 yond a certain pace, the stiffness and weight 
 of the shou]der, added to the burthen of his 
 chest and the rider, will bring him down. 
 Such a horse moves aukwardly and unpleasantly, 
 as the weight of his forehand causes him to 
 roll in the shoulders, which motion he com- 
 municates to his rider, who will sensibly feel 
 it, and the more so when the animal begins to 
 tire. Ease in the motions of a horse depends 
 much on the facility with which he bends his 
 knees, and the lightness of his shoulders. The 
 shoulder being upright, the point of tlie blade 
 bone (which in a well formed horse ought to 
 fail oft much towards the back) is depressed 
 with diiRcuity, and as from the manner of its 
 standing upright the knee is prevented from 
 bending with facility, this causes the stiffness 
 with v/hich such horses move. Before the 
 horse puts his foot forward, the pastern and 
 fetlock joints must be bent, the knee joints, 
 the joint at the extremity of the arm, that at 
 the lower part of the shoulder in front, and 
 the extreme point of the shoulder blade, which 
 becomes depressed as the other joints contract; 
 
33 
 and the facility of depression in this part de- 
 pends on its falling backwards considerably 
 towards the back bone. In a light shouldered 
 horse, with the shoulder blade falling back, 
 the reverse is the fact; he bends his knees with 
 ease up to his chest, and puts his feet forward 
 boldly and with courage, his motions are free 
 and pleasant, he rides light in hand, and his 
 shoulders do not roll, but play freely and 
 agreeably under his rider. A horse, however, 
 for a dead weight must have a heavy shoulder, 
 and a wide and full chest, as nothing is re- 
 quired of him but strength; but horses in- 
 tended for the saddle and the cavalry must be 
 of the opposite description. 
 
 C5 
 
 I. 
 
34 
 
 CHAP. XL 
 
 ON THE CHEST. 
 
 MUCH depends on the chest of a cavalry 
 or saddle horse with regard to his action. — 
 Heavy chested horses never vidll go fast, nor 
 be pleasant to ride. The chest ought not to be 
 prominent nor loaded with flesh in a horse in- 
 tended for the saddle or light harness; it 
 should go down straight from the extremity of 
 the neck to the upper part of the arms, nor 
 should it seem to shake or labour when the 
 animal is in motion. A horse with a heavy 
 chest is generally coarse made ; and if driven 
 beyond a certain pace will labour and sweat 
 profusely, which is unpleasant to the rider, 
 particularly in warm weather. A hard, coarse 
 mouth is also the usual accompaniment of a 
 chest so formed; such a chest, therefore, in 
 chusing a cavalry or saddle horse, must be 
 avoided. 
 
35 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 ON THE BOSOM. 
 
 THE bosom of a horse is that part which 
 lies immediately between the arms^ and great 
 care must be taken in observing its form. It 
 ought not to be too wide, as a horse with such 
 a bosom never can go with speed, particularly 
 in that pace called the trot; because if the 
 bosom be too wide it is impossible f n* the ani- 
 mal to. throw his hind legs clear outside of the 
 fore legs, and unless the former are thrown in 
 the manner now described, he can never be a 
 fast trotter, as he will, if weak and long in 
 the pasterns, strike the shoe of the hind foot 
 against the shoe of the fore foot, (which is 
 called clapping or over-reaching,) especially if 
 the road be covered with stiff clay, which 
 impedes the action of the fore feet. Horses 
 with too little bone for their carcase, with long 
 pasterns, and which go as above described, are 
 c6 
 
36 
 
 liable to this impediment both in trotting and 
 walking. Too wide a bosom, if you look at 
 a horse in front, will have a semicircular ap- 
 pearance at top. Such a bosom will do well 
 enough for a draught horse, or such a one as 
 is not required to have much speed. The best 
 bosom for a saddle horse is that which is nei- 
 ther too wide nor too narrovv^. We have de- 
 scribed the consequences of the wide bosom 
 above, and the consequences of the too nar- 
 row will be that the animal will scald there, be 
 weak, and if he does not stand very fair on his 
 feet and legs, he will cut severely before 
 at the fetlocks, perhaps trip and come down : 
 the bosom, therefore, ought to be in a medium 
 between the two already described. Above, it 
 ought to have the appearance of a Gothic 
 arch, narrowing gradually towards the top. 
 Provided a horse stands very straight on his 
 limbs, with his toes pointed right forward, the 
 narrowness of the chest is not of so much con- 
 sequence; but if this be not the case, or that 
 he point his toes out, it then becomes a seri- 
 ous detriment to him. 
 
37 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 ON THE FOREHAND. 
 
 SPEAKING of a horse generally, v/e di- 
 vide him into fore and hind quarters. The 
 fore quarters are called the forehand, and may 
 be said to comprehend one half of the horse 
 from the coupling of the back to the tips of 
 the ears, and the muzzle. A horse is said to 
 be regularly and properly formed when his 
 forehand is, in the language of jockeys, well 
 up, namely, when he stands somewhat higher 
 at the shoulders and the withers than at the 
 croupe j and v/hen his head is erect, his neck 
 regularly curved and lofty, and the whole of 
 the forehand upright and shev/y. So much 
 depends on the forehand, that all good judges 
 of horses make this the first object of consider- 
 ation, beginning with the countenance, and 
 
 I 
 
38 
 
 examining his ears, neck, shoulders, legs, and 
 feet. Whenever a person v/ell skilled in horses 
 finds those points meet his ideas, he takes it 
 for granted that every other part will corre- 
 spond. The figure of a horse thus formed is 
 by far the best, for various reasons. His fore- 
 hand being well up, shews that he has blood 
 and spirit, for there is nothing demonstrates so 
 strongly the sluggishness of the animal as a 
 drooping, heavy, and low forehand, and it is a 
 technical expresson amongst dealers that such 
 a horse carries his ends well; that is, his head, 
 forehand, and tail. The forehand, therefore, 
 must be well observed by those who buy horses, 
 and this, with the bending well of the knees 
 and pastern joints, greatly determines the 
 goodness of the animal. Those who have ob- 
 served dealers when they wish to shew their 
 horses to advantage, may have seen that they 
 always shew them with the fore feet standing 
 on rising ground, and they pinch him tight at 
 the mouth with the bit, v/hich rouzes his spi- 
 rits, if he have any, and makes him throw his 
 head lofty ; besides, they whip their horses 
 into this attitude before they are shewn to pur- 
 chasers, and they stand in this position, imme- 
 
39 
 
 dlately they are brought out. But the fair way 
 to examine a horse is, to lead him out quietly 
 and coolly without frightening him, and let 
 him stand, not on a rising ground, as is the 
 usual custom, but on a level piece of ground. 
 It should also be observed, fhat there is an- 
 other reason for shewing a horse with his head 
 and forehand on a rising ground, which is, 
 that this attitude causes the bowels of the ani- 
 mal to fall backwards, and makes his quarters 
 seem full and round, which, if he stood on a 
 level, would be seen more naturally and fairly 
 than in the position described. 
 
 Another strong reason for having the fore- 
 hand v/ell up is that the saddle will not slip 
 too forv/ard on the shoulders, which cannot be 
 kept back on a horse with a low forehand, 
 except by means of a crupper, which has not 
 a good appearance on a gentleman's horse, but 
 must be alv/ays used in the cavalry : and the 
 weight of the rider being thrown too much on 
 the points of the shoulders, will cramp the 
 motions of the horse, over-balanced before, 
 and cause him to come dovv^i. A crupper, it 
 is true, is the only remedy, but, independent 
 of its appearance, it is unpleasant to the horse^ 
 
40 
 
 and chafes him under the tall in hot weather, 
 in spite of every precaution, as a great part of 
 the weight presses on the crupper of a horse 
 whose forehand sinks ; and this is easily ob- 
 servable in the cavalry, as the horses consist of 
 those with low forehands as well as those that 
 are well up. These observations, therefore, 
 will serve as a guide to those who purchase 
 horses for themselves, and v/ho may wish to 
 rely on their ov/n judgment. 
 
4* 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 ON THE BACK. 
 
 AS it Is necessary to observe every part of 
 a horse before we can determine on his quali- 
 ties, the back must not pass unnoticed. It Is 
 a very important part, and much depends en 
 its formation. The finest shape for a horse's 
 back is nearly straight, and round above, and 
 so short that there is scarcely room for the sad- 
 dle from the shoulder to the kidneys. This 
 kind of back shews that the horse is strong 
 and active^ it denotes also that he has strength 
 in the quarters, and hns sufl^cient command of 
 his limbs. A horse thus formed will be pow- 
 erful all ever, and is generally superior in his 
 paces and actio-:: : on the contrary, a horse 
 with a long back is ordinary to the eye, weak, 
 generally without action, and has no command 
 of his limbs, but moves heavily and unplea* 
 santly, and is unfit for long journies. The 
 
43 
 
 only pace of consequence in a long-Backed 
 horse is the walk, v/hich is the result of long 
 legs, always the accompaniment of length in 
 the back : but those who are fond of good 
 horses should never choose one with a long 
 back, for the reasons here adduced, and which 
 will, generally speaking, be found to be cor- 
 rect. 
 
43 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 ON THE QUARTERS. 
 
 THE quarters of a horse comprehend the 
 hind parts, about the kidneys, &c. If a horse 
 be not full and strong made here, he should be 
 rejected, as the contrary evinces weakness, and 
 he will drag his hind legs after him in a loose 
 and slovenly manner. The weakness of the 
 quarters will be also observable in the drooping 
 of the tail, which denotes that the spine is 
 defective about the kidneys. Horses with long 
 backs are usually weak in the quarters, in the 
 joints of the hips, the hams or hocks, and so on 
 to the feet; and it may be observed that the 
 hind feet shoes and hoofs are worn away very 
 much at the point of the toes, which is done 
 by dragging the feet along the road. When 
 horses are much fatigued, they frequently bend 
 the hind feet totally back, and are in danger 
 of falling, and spraining the hinder joints a 
 
44 
 
 the fetlocks, in consequence of weak quarter?, 
 which ought therefore to be full, round, and 
 broad across at the kidneys. 
 
 In order to know if a horse be strong in the 
 quarters, he must be examined about the kid- 
 neys, flanks and haunch bones, by standing 
 across and behind him, and by taking a survey 
 from the tail to the shoulder, by observing also 
 that he is full and round, and that his haunch 
 bones do not shew themselves, but' that he is 
 Strong and plump towards the coupling of the 
 back ; and if so, his strength in the quarters 
 may be depended on. For hard work, it is 
 necessary that horses should be strong in this 
 part, particularly for the dragoon service, as a 
 considerable weight must be borne on their 
 quarters. 
 
45 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 ON THE BELLY. 
 
 THERE is not much to be said on this part 
 of the animal. The belly of a good horse 
 ought to be round underneath the quarters, and 
 nearly so at the fore legs, where it should 
 spread a little, and be somewhat thicker at the 
 girth than at the kidneys. A good horse ought 
 to have a full and strong carcase, otherwise he 
 will have but indifferent command of his legs, 
 and consequently little or no action. Horses 
 that are herring-bellied, that is, whose ribs are 
 flat instead of round, are generally extremely 
 v/eak, and are seldom approved. When the 
 ribs are flat, the belly is much sunk and encum- 
 bered. If the belly be too much shrunk, and 
 is small, it shews that the horse is not^in good 
 health, and that he feeds poorly. 
 
46 
 
 CHAP. X\^II. 
 
 ON THE HIPS. 
 
 THE hips of a horse properly formed are 
 semicircular, or nearly round, without any 
 projection of the hip bones towards the tail. 
 Horses whose hips form a curve in this man- 
 ner will always have a good appearance, and 
 are, in fact, stronger in the quarters than those 
 that are cross made and high boned. A droop- 
 rumped and high-boned horse will never look 
 handsome, and if in bad condition, will have a 
 miserable appearance; besides, as round and 
 plump hips always denote compactness of 
 figure, and strength of body, so, on the coi> 
 trary, a projecting rump and high bones shew 
 that the horse is loosely formed, and unfit fo' 
 the purposes of the saddle. 
 
CHAP. XVIIL 
 
 ON THE TAIL. 
 
 AS the head at one extremity is the princi- 
 pal part of the horse from which v/e may form 
 ajudgmeut of his temper and the action of his 
 forehand, so at the other the tail exhibits, in a 
 great degree, the strength and action of his hind 
 quarters. When a horse has been docked, 
 nicked, and thrown up well, if the operations 
 are performed properly, he will carry his tail 
 very high, should he be an animal of spirit, 
 which shews that he is strong in the spine and 
 quarters; and so much depends on this, that a 
 bad horse never carries his head and tail well. 
 Horse dealers are so much aware of this, that 
 they decide on the judgment of a purchaser 
 by his examination of this point; they there- 
 fore have recourse to what is called figging, 
 (an operation too well known to need 
 
48 
 
 describing here,) wliicli creates an artificial 
 sprightliness in the tail, and causes its 
 extension: this the dealers contrive to do by- 
 stealth ; and some men are so dexterous in the 
 operation, that in spite of the utmost vigilance 
 they will effect it. If, after the horse is led 
 out to be shevi^n, the tail is observed to quiver, 
 the motion is caoised by the w?rm sensation - 
 produced by the ginger, and the irritation 
 causes him to evacuate immediately. In a 
 short thne, however, the effect of this opera- 
 tion ceases, and the artificial vigour of the 
 tail is succeeded by its natural depression. 
 
 The tail, however, determines in a great de- 
 gree the courage and temper of the animal ; 
 the more spirited he is he will carry his tail the 
 higher and faitherfrom his posteriors. Indif- 
 ferent horses always contract their tails close to 
 the hips, but spirited ones, even before their 
 tails are either cocked, or nicked, or are sub- 
 mitted to any other operation, will, when 
 Stimulated to exertion, throw up their tails in 
 a superior and handsome manner. 
 
 The tail of a horse is so certain a sign of 
 the strength or weakness of the back, and of 
 other qualities, that by observing it, the judge- 
 
49 
 
 meat may be formed almost instantaneously'. 
 It is a sure prognostication of weakness in the 
 back when he shifts his tail from one side to 
 the other. After a long or severe journey, 
 imless a horse has good spirits, he will drop his 
 tail, which shews his imbecility. By a jour- 
 ney of forty or fifty miles, however, the quali- 
 ties of a horse will in general be ascertained; 
 In lifting the tail, if the animal be spirited, it 
 will yield to little force ; but the more exertion 
 is used to raise the tail of a dull horse, the 
 closer he v.all draw it to his hips ; and by per- 
 sisting, it not unfrequcntly happens that those 
 who make the attempt suffer severely from 
 kicking. 
 
 The bone of the tail should not be too thick, 
 nor loaded with much flesh or hair, which in- 
 dicate dullness, and want of spirit. It should 
 be flexible, easy to take up when required, and 
 sufliciently covered with soft and flowing hair. 
 Some horses have little or no hair on their tails. 
 Thtse are called rat-tailed horses, and are gene- 
 rally of the best kind. Their fiery and spirited 
 constitution is the cause of so little hair grow- 
 ing pn that part. HoYses with such tails, how- 
 ever, though they aiv by no means handsome. 
 
50 
 
 are rather to be desired than objected to on 
 that account. The demand for rat-tailed 
 horses was some time since so general, that 
 many were cut so as to resemble the natural 
 ones: but such transformation of the tail was 
 truly ridiculous, as it neither added to the 
 horse's beauty, nor to his goodness or action. 
 The tail, therefore, is to be considered as a 
 member of the horse which will much assist 
 the judgment of the purchaser, if he be not 
 deceived by the operation of figging. 
 
?t 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 ON THE BODY, OR CARCASE. 
 
 THE horse, with respect to his body or caiv 
 -case, ought to be full in the quarters, round in 
 the hips and belly, and nearly straight in the 
 back; and when he stands on a level piece of 
 ground, his shoulders and forehand should be 
 higher than his quarters. This is the most 
 proper form for a horse intended for the ca- 
 valry, the road, or the field j but racers, and 
 such as are chosen for swiftness, are of a dif- 
 ferent description. The latter ought to be^ 
 and usually are, shaped more like a grey-hound, 
 rather flat in the ribs, and their heads and noses 
 stretch more forward while in the act of run- 
 ning. This form of the head and neck is in- 
 dispensable to velocity in every animal ; and 
 the reason that may be assigned for it is, that 
 the straightness of the windpipe contributes to 
 facility of respiration. This extension of the 
 P2; 
 
52 
 
 neck gfvTS an aukwardness to the general ap- 
 pearance of the race-horse : however, as he is 
 never used for any other purpose than for 
 speed, his want of beauty is of no consequence. 
 Length of back and bone, loose ribs and quar- 
 ters, and stretched neck, are his essential 
 qualifications ; but a contrary figure only is 
 adapted to those horses which are more imme- 
 diately the subject of this Treatise. 
 
S3 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 ON THE EYES. 
 
 THE eyes of horses are not more various in 
 their colours than those of the human species, 
 and that variety is less distinguishable. They 
 are nearly all of a darkish cast, except the wall 
 eye. The shape and size of the eye is of more 
 importance than the colour. The wall eye, 
 though not handsome to look at, is much 
 esteemed, as the paces of a v/all-eyed horse 
 are generally good ; his temper is irregular 
 and various, yet not so much so as to be un- 
 manageable. Large and heavy eyes denote 
 dullness J but when too small and oblong, it in- 
 dicates weakness of body and of sight. The 
 middle-sized eye is best, and the more circular 
 the better, for it shews that the sight of the eye 
 D3 
 
54 
 
 is strong, and does not fear the light. This eye 
 is best, from its losing none of the rays of 
 light that fall on its surface, and is capable of 
 receiving more of them, than that of the oblong 
 shape. The same observation is applicable to 
 the human vision^ for the eyelids of short and 
 weak-sighted men are always nearly half closed. 
 All birds r:n3. other anin^.ais with circular eyes 
 are usually quick sighted. 
 
 The eyelids of a iiorse should open and shut 
 with quickness, which is a proof that the horse 
 is vigorous and healthy, and the nerves of the 
 eye strong. To ascertain whether the sight be 
 good, the hand should be placed upon one eye 
 so as to blindfold it, and the finger moved 
 backwards and forwards before the other, and 
 sometimes pointed directly at it ; and if the 
 sight be quick and good, the horse will wink 
 very fast when he perceives the finger approach 
 him. This should always be done, as eyes 
 which are nearly blind frequently look very 
 well. 
 
 The circle that surrounds the eye should 
 not be too fleshy, as it denotes the horse 
 to be of a heavy and vicious temper j the thin- 
 ner the circle, the quicker and more easily will 
 
ss 
 
 it be moved ; and not only will the eye be a 
 shorter time in the dark, but be oftener re- 
 freshed by the moisture contained under the 
 eyelids. 
 
 f>4 
 
5^ 
 
 CHAP, :^L 
 
 ON COLOUR. 
 
 COLOUR, though only a superficial qua- 
 lity, is nevertheless of considerable importance 
 in the choice of horses. The colour of all 
 animals is, generally speaking, so intimately 
 connected with the internal properties of the 
 object to which it belongs, that it seems to be 
 inseparable, and to indicate its qualities. The 
 observation applies also to vegetable and mine- 
 ral, as well as to animal substances. Each 
 class has, in a great degree, its peculiai? colour, 
 though there may be, and certainly are, some 
 exceptions. The general colours of horses are 
 the chesnut, the bay, and the black, with their 
 different shades-, but the two former are by far 
 the most common. Black is a colour peculiar 
 to horses of the heavy draft kind. Grey horses 
 ?'.re by no means numerous j and much less so 
 are those of a dun or mouse-colour, and the 
 
Si 
 
 pyeball is rarely to be seen. It is a cornmoilj 
 but a just remark, that a good horse cannot 
 have a bad colour ;. for though the eye may 
 not be gratified by external appearance, the 
 satisfaction that results from reliance on the 
 good qualities of the animal is more than suf« 
 ficient to counttrbalanee any disagreeableness 
 in his complexion. 
 
 Horses in greatest request are tlv^se of the 
 various shades of brown, bay, and chesnut, as 
 they are generally of a more hardy nature, and 
 the colour of the mane and tail is different to 
 that of the body. Black horses fit for the ca- 
 valry or saddle are seldom to be met with. 
 The dark iron grey Is the next in preference : 
 but in choosing a horse of this colour, it should 
 be carefully observed that the hips and hinder 
 parts are not of a mixed and reddish hue, as he 
 is not to be depended on. Grey horses of 
 every description, as they advance inf years, 
 become gradually lighter, and at the age of 
 i'ighxt or nine are almost entirely white. They 
 arc for the most part of delicate and tender 
 constitutions, and difficult to be kept clean, 
 ■ 'thout v/ashing, which makes them liable to 
 
 »5 
 
S8 
 
 colds ; and from natural softness in the hoofs 
 the shoes are not long sustained. 
 
 There is a whole regiment mounted on grey- 
 horses, called the Scotch Greys 5 they look 
 very showy, and the effect is pleasing, but 
 they take great pains in groo ming them j and it 
 is generally understood that this regiment is 
 obliged to be oftener supplied with fresh horses 
 than any other in his Majesty's service, which 
 plainly proves they are not of a durable sort. 
 Grey horses are not allowed in any other regi- 
 jments of cavalry, except for the use of the 
 trumpeters. When grey horses are used in 
 the European armies, they are never selected 
 in reconnoitring or advanced parties, as they 
 are more apt to be sooner noticed by the ene- 
 my than any other colour j and when used 
 from necessity, and an army is obliged to re- 
 treat, the greys are generally stationed in the 
 rear, and on eminences, to give the enemy an 
 idea that the retreating army is much stronger 
 than it really is, as the appearance makes them 
 seem more numerous. 
 
 The grey colour is mote prevalent among 
 *ihe Arabian horses than in Europe, but this 
 ia chiefly the dark iron grey. I have read a^ 
 
59 
 
 treatise on horses, which endeavoured to prove 
 that this colour in horses was the efFect of 
 slavery, and that the original colour was either 
 black, bay, brown, or chesnut ; but this asser- 
 tion can never be maintained ; for if it were 
 true,. the whole race now in use throughout 
 the universe would have degenerated into that 
 colour i beside, the horse not being a rational 
 animal, what knowledge can he have of loss of 
 liberty, provided he be well fed and taken care 
 of? And it must be observed that the colour 
 nov/ in question prevails among the finest of 
 the breed, in Arabia, Persia, andTartary, where 
 they enjoy the greatest freedom. The dun 
 colour is very scarce \ but it Is of little conse- 
 quence, as a good horse of this colour is sel- 
 dom to be met with. 
 
 The pyeballed horse, which is either white 
 and black, or white and bay or chesnut, in 
 large flakes or spots, is very scarce, and seems 
 not to belong to any particular colour, but is a 
 sort of lusus naturae, v/hich has no fixed colour, 
 but is merely the production of chance. 
 
 To the colours already enumerated may be 
 added the cream coloured and the roan. Those 
 used in his Majesty's state carriage are of the- 
 s 6 
 
former colour. They are not nati/es of tliis- 
 island, but are brought from the Dutchy of 
 Holstein in Germany, Hanover, or Arabia. 
 Horses of this colour are exceedingly delicate, 
 gentle in their disposition, proud and shewy in 
 tlieir paces,- have light forehands, and are fine 
 mouthed, but not adapted to much hardship* 
 The roan is not a colour of itself, but is the 
 effect of chesnut, bay, brown, or black, blended 
 with white . on the extremes of the hair. A 
 black roan, though the hair consists of white 
 and black, is quite different from tlie ^iron 
 grey, the white in the former lying principally 
 on the points of the hair, and exhibiting sucli 
 an appearance as if a shower of snow had fallen 
 on a black horse ; but in the latter, the w^hite 
 and black hairs are mixed quite through to the 
 roots. Roans in all colours frequently have this 
 appearance, and sometim.es their hair is mixed 
 like that of grey horses. All other colours in- 
 terspersed, or covered partly with white, form 
 the roan, with the exception of black, which, 
 when it is rcgiihirly mixed to the roots of the 
 hair, forms either a lighter or darker grey, in 
 proportion to the quantity of white -, but vrhen 
 tlie white appears principally on the surface of 
 the hair, it is called a black roan. 
 
6i 
 
 Roan horses are not numerous, but arc 
 generally possessed of excellent qualities. — - 
 Nature in her capriciousness hn« given various 
 colours of hair and complexion to mankind, 
 and to animals of every description. There is 
 a great deal of expression in the hair, and its 
 colour in a great degree determines the charac- 
 ter and disposition of men, as well as horses 
 snd other animals. 
 
 I cannot close tliis chapter without adverting 
 to the opinions of the Duke of Newcastle and 
 a variety of other writers on horses, who seem 
 to ridicule the idea of taking the colour into 
 consideration in determining their good or bad 
 qualities. They must indeed have been super- 
 ficial observers of horses who have not disco- 
 vered how much the colour of horses, generally 
 speaking, indicates their spirit, durability, and 
 value. Every farrier v/eli knows that white 
 legs and white feet always have soft hoofs, and 
 are unable to keep the shoes. In the human 
 race, white hair denotes a feeble constitution; 
 auburn, brov/n, and tlie darker shades, indi- 
 cate hardiness and strength. "White cocks are 
 not esteemed by sportsmen, as they are tender, 
 and never hght well; and the breeders of cat- 
 
(52 
 
 tie are aware that white bulls or cows are by 
 no means the best. The hair, therefore, ought 
 to have a greater weight in determining our 
 choice in horses than many are disposed to 
 allow. The colour of the hair proceeds from 
 the internal constitution and qualities of the 
 animal j and though we cannot trace this to its 
 primary cause, yet it is not the less true. 
 
6j 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 ON THE COLOUR OF THE FACE. 
 
 ALMOST all horses have more or less white 
 in their faces. A little of it enlivens the coun- 
 tenance, and gives it expression, but too much 
 causes the face to look glaring and unmeaning, 
 and is a great drav/back to the beauty of the 
 animal. The countenance of a horse, as well 
 as of a man, expresses, in a great degree, his 
 qualities and temper. Lavater, whose skill 
 in physiognomy is undoubted, attributes to 
 the face the pov/er of expressing cur mental 
 propensities, and has established beyond con- 
 tradiction that the countenance of men, as v/ell 
 as animals, is the true index of their liabits and 
 their nature. Some horses have no white in 
 the face, but they are few in number. Asses 
 and mules, which are heavy and sluggish, have 
 nov/hite in their faces j and the want of this 
 lively colour in the face of a horse, seems to 
 
<$4 
 
 indicate that he also partakes of those Indolent 
 qualities •, but good action removes every pre- 
 judice arising from the colour of the animal. 
 A small blaze in the forehead and snip on the 
 nose, or a star in the forehead and snip on the 
 nose, or a small star without any more vidiite, 
 are accounted the handsomest marks of the face. 
 Too much white about the muzzle shews the 
 horse to have a tender and indifferent mouth j 
 the consequence of which will be that he v/ili 
 masticate slowly. Too much white in any 
 animal denotes delicacy of constkution, and 
 weakness -of body, and a Jiorse with a white 
 face has generally white kgs or white feet, 
 which, as before obscrv^ed, are reasons for re- 
 jecting him. Though such horses, liowever, 
 are not desirable for either cavalry, saddle, or 
 pleasure horses, they will answer very well 
 for a variety of ether useful purposes. 
 
6s 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 ON CROPPING AKD FOXING. 
 
 THE only reason that can be assigned for 
 cropping horses is, to improve their appearance; 
 and this operation is performed on those par- 
 ticularly that have heavy ears, or what are 
 commonly called sow ears ; but as many peo- 
 ple crop their horses from caprice only, be their 
 ears ever so handsome, it is necessary, witli 
 deference to the better judgment of others, to 
 point out what horses the process of cropping 
 would become, as v/ell as the form in which 
 the ears ought to be cropped to shew the neck 
 and head to advantage, and to improve the 
 general appearance of the horse. 
 
 If a heavy-eared horse be badly formed 
 about the neck, cropping will not improve, but, 
 on the contrary, disfigure liim. If he has a 
 fine, regularly curved neck, rising gradually 
 from the withers to the crest, and termir-atin^ 
 
66 
 
 boWly at the ears, cropping will greatly im- 
 prove him, and the closer it is performed the 
 better ; therefore it is preferable, on the whole, 
 to leave his ears as nature formed them. 
 
 A short-b.icked, compact horse, of good 
 courage, and his neck formed as above, vvill 
 look exceeding vi^ell if he be cropped, and will 
 have a very bold and warlike appearance j but 
 tliat this effect rnay be produced by the opera- 
 tion of cropping, it must be done in a particu- 
 lar manner. 
 
 In cropping horses, those who perform it 
 affect to give the ears the appearance of natu- 
 ral ones by pointing them at the top j and from 
 the resemblance they bear to foxes* ears, it 
 is called foxing ; but this has not the effect of 
 giving the animal a bold, courageous look, so 
 much as if the ears were quite rounded at 
 top ; that is, when the ears are cut right across, 
 and rather close, and the corners rounded 
 off instead of being carried to a point. After 
 a horse has been cropped, no hair should ever 
 be cut from the inside of the ears ; but if the 
 hair grows longer than the ears, it should be 
 cut even with them, but never inside, for the 
 two following reasons: first, that the hair 
 
61 
 
 ©ught to be left to protect the ears from dust, 
 flifs, iinQ sand, and other objects which are 
 troublesome to the animal when his ears are 
 deprived of the protection of the hair: — 
 secondly, when the ears are trimmed too close 
 inside, the horse is apt to take cold in the head 
 and brain ; the hair is also a protection against 
 rain, snow, and hail, wliich fall into the ears 
 of a cropped liorsc. The practice of trim- 
 ming the ears inside, which is very common, 
 indeed almost general, ought to be entirely 
 exploded ; for the animal would look much 
 handsom.er if only trimmed close to the sur- 
 face. Though this may not strike at first vkwj 
 the fact is no less evident. 
 
68 
 
 CHAP. xiav. 
 
 ON STANDING. 
 
 THAT a horse sliould stand well on his legi 
 is of the greatest consequence, and though in 
 this position the animal be completely at rest, 
 yet a proficient can readily tell whether the 
 horse be good or bad before he even stirs a 
 foot. Observe, when a horse stands, that he 
 does not draw his legs under him, with his 
 chest projecting, his knees crippled or bent, 
 and his legs arched as if he were preparing to 
 lie down. The reason of his standing thus is 
 from stiffness in the knees, and too great an 
 uprightness in his shoulders, the points not 
 falling backwards as before described. This 
 position he will retain when he is in motion ; 
 his forehand will proje6l too much ; and by 
 throwing the weight of the body too forward 
 he will most likely come down. Another rea- 
 son why a horse stands in this m.anncr is from 
 
69 
 
 a contraction of the back sinews or flexors, 
 which has been occasioned by too great exer- 
 tion. This happens chiefly to horses that have 
 been worked hard, and particularly to such as 
 have been used in a draught or harness, and is 
 very perceptible in most of the hackney-coach 
 horses, which are submitted to much hardship 
 as well as severe labour. The flexors or back 
 sinews being extended beyond their proper 
 length, they become strained, and shrink up ; 
 and it is impossible for the animal ever after to 
 stand straight on his joints. Horses, therefore, 
 that are used in harness, if they have been 
 worked hard, are rendered unfit for the saddle; 
 and all those v/ho esteem their horses for the 
 purpose of riding, should never put them in 
 harness, as it spoils them . Very little can be 
 done to cure, or even to assist this contraction, 
 if it be very bad. Some put on shoes witli 
 very long toes, v.'hich make the horse stretch 
 the back sinews when he is walked gently; rub 
 the knee joints with oils and spirits, pare the 
 heels down a good deal, and make their shoes 
 low behind: however when a horse is thus 
 crippled, all idea of using him as a saddle- 
 horse should he abar.dDnedj as he will certainly 
 
come down with his rider. Yet he may be 
 usi'ful in harness, or for agricultural purposes ; 
 and to preserve him as erect as possible on his 
 legs, he should never be shod high behind, nor 
 have his shoes turned up, except in frosty 
 weather, when it cannot be dispensed with. 
 
 The proper position of standing, and into 
 which a good horse will naturally put himself, 
 is, with his fore legs placed well forward, his 
 knees of course straightened, and quite flat on 
 the cap or front of the knee joint, and, as good 
 judges term it, standing on as much ground as 
 possible. When a horse comes fresh out of 
 the stable, he should never incline to stand on 
 any three legs at a time, easing as it were the 
 other, wliich shews tlir.t he feels some pain in 
 it. If he does this after a long journey, when 
 he is fatigued, it is not of much consequence, 
 as it is then done for the purpose of resting 
 himself. The toes of the horse in this position, 
 as before observed, ought to point straight for- 
 ward. Most of tlie Arabian horses stand with 
 their legs a good de?i\ under them. However 
 this is not owing to any natural defect, but to 
 their being tied by the fore feet when young, 
 which gives them this attitude, and which 
 
71 
 
 certainly, as it is unnatural, does then no ser- 
 vice, though it is not perceptible when put 
 into action J their forehand too biing wjll up, 
 the weight is tlirown ofF the shoulders. 
 
 When standing behind a horse, if his fore 
 legs can bs seen from the lower extremity of 
 the arms down to the hoofs, through ths space 
 between his hind legs, he stands well both 
 behind and before, and is not cac hammed, 
 which, though not very objectionable, fs by no 
 means desirable. The feet should nearly ap- 
 proach each other, but the space between the 
 legs should widen upwards to the bosom; the 
 toes of the hind feet ought to point directly 
 forward, in the same manner as the fore feet, 
 or nearly so. The toes of the fore feet should 
 never, on any consideration, point outwards, 
 for, as before observed, this is a most unerring 
 sign that he will cut. It is not very material if 
 the toes point a little inward, many fine horses 
 having their feet thus formed ; but it is by far 
 best that the toe should point fairly forward, 
 as in trotting the knees bend freely before ; and 
 in choosing a horse, notice should be taken that 
 he bends his hind pasterns actively and quick, 
 and that; he do not drag his hind feet along, 
 
so as to %vear away part of the hoof as well as 
 the shoe. This arises from the hind quarters 
 being too long, and from a weakness in the quar- 
 ters and in all the joints vsiiich by their united 
 action produce the motion of the hinder part 
 of the animal. This is more discernible in tlr^ 
 action of the pastern than in any of the joints 
 higher up. It may be , observed, that after a 
 long journey a horse drags his feet consider- 
 ably, moves more slowly, and rests longer on 
 the step than when fresh. The hind joints 
 having becomie tired and weak, the horse has 
 not the srane power of bending them; he 
 therefore raises his croupe higher, and drags 
 his legs along as if they had no joints; and 
 horses that are naturally weak exhibit such 
 action, even wlicn fresh, in a greater or ks« 
 degree. 
 
73 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 ON THE WALK. 
 
 THE natural paces of a horse are the walk, 
 the trot, and the gallop. In walking, every 
 horse invariably lifts two legs on the same 
 side, beginning with the hind leg first. For 
 instance, he lifts his off hind foot and puts it 
 forward, and nearly at the time he sets it down 
 lifts his off fore foot and puts it forv/ard, set- 
 ting down the hind foot near where the fore 
 foot stood, which passes over or falls short of 
 the place where the fore foot stood in propor- 
 tion as his walk is more or less accelerated, 
 Sonietimes he places it exactly in the track of 
 the fore foot. The fore foot which he first 
 lifted he sets down a step before the fore foot 
 which remained at rest. As he is putting 
 dov/nthis foot, which for example wesupposeto 
 be the off" fore foot, he lifts the near hind foot 
 and puts it forward near to where the fore foot 
 
 E 
 
74 
 
 stood, wlilch he lifts and puts down before 
 his off fore foot, and so on j which is the exact 
 motion of a horse*s legs in walking. In the 
 %vaik, as well as in all the other paces of the 
 horse, the hind quarters propel the fore ones, 
 and put them in action, the hind quarters and 
 hind legs always pressing forward, and put- 
 4^ng the forehand in motion^ because the whole 
 power of action in every horse lies from his 
 centre backwards. When a horse is brought 
 close to a ditch, or bar, for the purpose of 
 leaping over it, he can never lift up his fore 
 hand until he brings his hind legs and quarters 
 forwards close to the fore ones, which shews 
 that it is in the hind quarters that the seat of 
 action is principally fixed, though it is to the 
 countenance that we must look for spirit and 
 temper. The quarters of a horse are the same 
 to him as a rudder is to a ship, or the tail to a 
 fish, by pressing which against the water, it 
 is forced forward. To prove this still fur- 
 ther, tie the fore legs of a horse, and observe 
 tis motion ; he cannot move the fore quarters 
 until he brings the hind legs quite close to the 
 fore ones. From this it is evident that though 
 
 o 
 
 a horse determines himself to action from the 
 
75 
 
 fore parts, it is the hind that act as the pto* 
 pelling power, and by which the action is con- 
 tinued. Horses differ in their method of walk- 
 ing. Some horses over-reach considerably; 
 that is, they put their hind feet a good dis- 
 tance past wliere their fore feet stood j others 
 put them down nearly where they stood ; and 
 many about half way between. The speediest 
 walkers are those v/hich over-reach, provided 
 they have a good deal of muscular action,. 
 One horse, however, may walk in all these dif- 
 ferent ways as he is more or less pressed by 
 the rider. Horses usually walk best when 
 they are somewhat tired. When a horse is 
 brought out fresh he is apt to strike into the 
 trot, or gallop ; for which reason sporting 
 men, who make wagers that a horse will 
 walk, trot, and gallop a certain number of 
 zniies in a given time, a third of which is to be 
 performed in each pace, begin, x)y at least 
 ought always to begin, with the gallop, and 
 finish with the walk. 
 
 The walk is that pace of a horse in which he 
 has the least exertion ; it is the pleasantest pace 
 particularly for a person in a state of conva- 
 lc9ceTice, who wishing to take air and exercise, 
 
 F. 2 
 
76 
 
 cannot bear the less easy paces of the animah 
 In walking, great care ought to be taken that a 
 horse does not come down, as in this pace he 
 is much off his guard-, let him therefore feel 
 the bit gently, so as to remind him of his duty, 
 Hcrses differ just as much in their walk as they 
 do in their other paces j some horses will walk 
 five miles in the hour, whilst others will not 
 exceed three and a half. Lengthy horses are 
 the best walkers, if they are bony and well set 
 up. The walking pace is exceedingly useful, 
 and it is that by which all work is executed 
 that is of a laborious nature, except that of 
 the flying artillery, which is performed on the 
 trot, canter, and slow gallop, in order to ac- 
 company the movements of the light dragoons. 
 The work of gentlemen's carriages must be 
 excepted also, which is done chiefly on the 
 trot. The walk, therefore, is a pace adapted 
 as well to pleasure as to laborious purposes. 
 
77 
 
 CHAP. XXVL 
 
 ON THE TROT. 
 
 IN all the natural paces of the horse he 
 supports himself transverselvj or crosswise. 
 but in the trot this is most perceptible. In the 
 action of the trot, two of his feet are suspended 
 or poised in the air, and two of them conti- 
 nue on the ground ; the off fore foot and near 
 hind footj or near fore foot and off hind foot, 
 diagonally. When you v/ish to put a liorse 
 forward on the tret from the walk^ slacken 
 your reins a little, and press your horse's sides 
 gently with both your legs at the same timej 
 the horse, knowing your intention, will advance 
 the hind leg of thr.t side which in the walk 
 did not lead, sooner than he would otherv/ise 
 have done, and at the same instant he will 
 move forward the fore leg of that side with 
 which, in the wall;, he had begun to lead, viz. 
 a hind leg and fore leg at the same time, cross- 
 
wise and alternately. This is the true position 
 of the legs and the action of a regular trot. 
 
 A horse may perform the trot in a variety of 
 v/ays. The first is. the extended trot, namely, 
 when a horse is pressed forward at his full 
 speed in this pace. From this, v/hich is the 
 foundation of the trot, we proceed to the sup- 
 ple trot. When a horse is put forward on the 
 extended trot, you check him gradually, and 
 instead of permitting him to put his feet as far 
 forward as he possibly can, ycu oblige him to 
 put them down more under him, to contract 
 his body more, and to spring and play more 
 on the pasterns. The next is the even or 
 jog trot, in which he puts his hind feet down 
 about half way from where they stood toward 
 the fore feet, and continues so in a regular and 
 even pace. In the extended trot you permit a 
 horse to go forward with his whole spirit and 
 fire; in the supple you check and constrain 
 him in his speed, causing him to display his 
 action and spirit, not in going forward, but in 
 springing and playing on his pasterns and other 
 joints; and in the even or equal trot, you suf- 
 fer his spirit to cool and abate, and to proceed 
 with an even pace» 
 
79 
 The trot is a very useful and grand pace in 
 a horse that can perform it well, that is hand- 
 some and compact in his make, bends his knee 
 well, and goes forward in a bold stile; but 
 there are few horses that excel in this pace in 
 any eminent degree. The generality of horses 
 cannot trot more than seven or eight miles 
 within the hour, but no horse can be called 
 a proper trotting horse that cannot accomplish 
 twelve, thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen miles, 
 occasionally, within that time, v/hen necessity 
 requires it j and a horse capable of doijig this 
 will always be the pleasantest to ride in an 
 easier pace, and will afford much more plea- 
 sure and satisfrxticn in riding him than one 
 of these heavy, stiff animals, incapable of any 
 thing but a slow pace. A horse, however, 
 that can trot nine, ten, or eleven miles in the 
 hour,^ is accounted very fair, particularly if he 
 execute it in a handsome and spirited stile, and 
 goes light in hand. 
 
 To choose ?. fast trotting horse, you must 
 take care to observe that he stands wide be- 
 hind, and in the act of trotting throws his 
 hind feet quite clear of the fore feet, outside, 
 and very far past them -, he must not be to© 
 E 4 
 
8o 
 
 wide in the chest .3 for if he be^ this spreads 
 his fore legs too far asunder, and renders it 
 impossible for him to throw the hind legs out- 
 side the fore ones ; and it is consequently im- 
 possible for 71 horse of this form ever to exceed 
 eighty nine^ or ten miles in the hour , but this 
 he may do in a good stile. 
 
 A good trotting horse ought to bend his 
 knees well up to his chest, be supple in -all the 
 forehand joints^ and throw his foot forward 
 courageously, alighting a little on the heel, and 
 springing from the toe. There are some horses 
 that bend their knees very well^ but do not put 
 their feet boldly forward. This arises from a 
 defect in the joints of the knees, which are so 
 formed as not to be capable of straightening j 
 and sometimes from a stiffness and contraction 
 of the back tendon, v.'hich will not suffer the 
 knee to become straight again after bending. 
 Such horses step very heavy •, for instead of 
 using their strength in getting forward, they 
 come down with their whole v/eight at a short 
 distance from their last step. The Holstein, 
 Hanoverian, and m.ost of the continental 
 horses, chiefly move in this stile, except that 
 they straighten the knee better after bending it, 
 
and spring more on their pasterns than the 
 horses above alluded to; The former is the stiff 
 trot, the latter the supple; this is a safe, hand- 
 some, and showy pace, as they go well above 
 the ground ; and all horses that move in this 
 manner stand close behind, and consequently 
 can never be fast on the trot, and there is 
 never any danger of their coming down. 
 Horses so formed always have their forehand 
 well up, and look handsome. Those that trot 
 too fast cannot perform it in a handsome stile, 
 as the great exertion distorts their symmetry, 
 and destroys the beauty of the pace and the 
 grandeur of their action. 
 
 The handsomest trotting horses are those 
 which trot from eight to ten miles within the 
 hour, which is quite speed enough for the 
 generality of weights. There are horses 
 (though not many) that will trot a mile in two 
 minutes and a half or three minutes, but it 
 would be impossible to continue it for the 
 whole hour without the destruction of the 
 animal *. 
 
 * A little black galloway mare, the property of Sir 
 Richard Hill's groom, would, in what is called the run- 
 ziing trot, go at the rate of twenty miles an hour; and 
 
A liorse that goes close to the ground In his 
 trot is very unsafe ta ride, as he runs the risk 
 of tripping, and consequently coming down. 
 His going close to the ground is owing to the 
 stiffness of his knees and other fore joints, and 
 the uprightness of the shoulders, the point of 
 which is extremely difficult in depression, which 
 prevents the animal from bending his knees and 
 pastern joints according to his intention : his 
 toe, therefore, is some obstacle in the way, and 
 the weight of his forehand, added to that of 
 the rider, brings hirh down, and the rider runs 
 the risk of breaking his neck at the same time 
 that his horse break his knees. Some horses> 
 when they fall on their knees, roll on their noses 
 and foreheads, and it is almost impossible to 
 recover them until they either fall sideways on 
 the legs of the rider, or perhaps ^oll upon 
 him, and cause his instant death. No person 
 should ride a stumbling, broken-kneed horse ; 
 for if he has once come down, it is certain he 
 will do it again, as the skin of the knee, having 
 been once cut, becomes more stiff and con- 
 tracted than it was originally, and the knee 
 
 vvac supposed to be equal, if not superior, to the cele- 
 brated mare PhenomeBon, 
 
^3* 
 
 consequently more difBcuIt to bend. Of all 
 the fore joints, the knee suffers most when a 
 horse falls. The only safe way to ride a 
 broken kneed horse is to put him on his mettle, 
 and to keep him on the canter, and then there 
 is but little to apprehend ; but he never should 
 be suffered to trot, particularly in an easy 
 cr careless manner. Many persons have lost 
 their lives for vi^ant of knowledge in choosing 
 a saddle horse, and by not being aware of the 
 danger of riding a broken kneed one, particu- 
 larly if the rider be heavy ; for a great weight 
 is sure to occasion a horse's falling, unless he 
 be particularly sure-footed. A horse that has 
 been down may be used with a degree of 
 safety in harness, as he has no weight on his 
 shoulders -, but if it can be avoided, it were 
 better never to use such a one as a saddle horse. 
 When a dealer purchases a horse that has been 
 down, he frequently passes him off to some 
 one who knows nothing of the evil conse- 
 quences of such a blemish, by saying that it 
 was an accident in hunting, from the stump ot 
 a bush, or from some similar cause j but it 
 were adviseable never to have any thing to do 
 with a horse of this description, or that has 
 e6 
 
84 
 
 the kast scratch or blemish about the knees. 
 In choosing a saddle horse, therefore, let the 
 purchaser order him to be mounted, and rode 
 away from him on the trot; if he throws his 
 hind feet wide, and clear of his fore feet, he 
 will trot well and fast. Then let him be 
 turned round at about the distance of two or 
 three hundred yards, and brought up to him 
 on the trot, and let him observe that he points 
 his toes right forward ; then there will be no 
 danger of his cutting, but if he points either 
 one or both of his toes out, he will certainly 
 cut before. Lastly, stand across the horse ; let 
 him be put on the trot again, and observe that 
 he bends his knee well, and straightens it again, 
 that he puts his feet forward with courage, 
 and carries his forehand well up-, and it may 
 be depended on that such a horse will never 
 come down with him, nor deceive him. Let 
 it also be observed, that tlie horse gathers him- 
 self well up both in the trot and gallop, for 
 unless he does this he can never stretch him- 
 self out again, but will go loosely and slovenly 
 in all his paces. The action of a horse is like 
 an elastic hoop of steel, it cannot expand 
 without being first contracted. After these 
 
85 
 
 observations have been made, the purchaser 
 should mount the horse himself, to ascertain 
 if he goes Hght in hand, and has a fine mouth; 
 and if a trial be allowed, which is usually the 
 case, let him ride five or ten miles out wnd 
 back again, and then he will be able to judge 
 if the horse ansv/ers his expectations. 
 
 It will not be sufficient that a horse bends 
 his knees freely and well ; he must also bend 
 the fetlock joints with facility. If the pasterns 
 are short, stitF, and too upright, the horse will 
 bend the fetlock joints with great difficulty, 
 will fail getting his toe clear of the ground, 
 and will consequently trip. The action of the 
 fore hand consists in the bending with ease 
 and straightening again the fetlock and pastern 
 joints, the knees, the joints at the elbov/s, the 
 joints near the chest, and the depression and 
 elevation of the shoulder blade. When these 
 act properly, the horse carries his forehand 
 well, and moves v/ith ease to himself as well 
 as to his rider; but of all the above m^otions 
 that of the knee is by- far the most visible. 
 Hard v/ork stiffens the v/hole of a horse's 
 joints, but more especially his fetlock and pas- 
 tern joints, which sometimes become so stiff 
 
8(5 
 
 that they are said to be ossified, the joints be- 
 coming nearly useless, and turning, as it were, 
 into an intire bone. It is therefore dangerous 
 to ride a horse of this description, as he will 
 trip, and come down; the safest way is, to 
 put him on the canter or gallop, as in this pace 
 he will go clear of the ground. 
 
 Horses that bend their pastern joints well, 
 shew their shoes a good deal by turning them 
 completely up, which is always a good sign. 
 There are many horses in-kneed •, and though 
 this is not a very material fault, nor a reason 
 for rejecting them, still it is not desirable; 
 the knee joints are not fairly set together ; and 
 In standing in the front of such a horse, it will 
 be observed the knees incline towards each 
 other. The motion of such knees is particu- 
 larly observable on the trot. A horse that is 
 fairly set up, bends the leg from the knee so as 
 tjiat the toes would describe two lines passing 
 forwards and backwards, parallel to each 
 other; and in standing behind him, his knees 
 cannot be seen : but the horse that is in-kneed 
 describes two lines with his toes that would 
 cross each other under his belly, as he lifts his 
 feet inwards and bends his knees outwards; 
 
87 
 
 and by standing behind him when on the trot, 
 it will be perceived that his knees have a 
 twisting motion outwards, and tlie feet de- 
 scribe the two cross lines alluded to. The 
 worst thing attending such a form is, that if 
 the horse be cut of condition, and weak, and 
 if he do not stand tolerably wide in the bosom, 
 he will cut himself before at the fetlocks with 
 his heels ; and should his feet take his legs 
 higher, he will run a great risk of coming 
 down. 
 
88 
 
 CHAP. XXVII. 
 
 ON THE CANTER AND GALLOP. 
 
 IN the walk Tind trot^ a horse moves his four 
 feet regularly and alternately, two at a time, 
 supporting himself crosswise ; but his action 
 in the gallop is different. When a horse 
 strikes into the canter or gallop, he leads with 
 whichever of his fore legs the rider puts him 
 off. If he lead with the off fore leg, At be- 
 comes considerably advanced before the near 
 one, and the near hind leg and the off fore leg 
 are at a greater distance from each other di- 
 agonally than the two legs that have not led j 
 so, on the contrary, if the horse lead with the 
 near fore leg, the same takes place with respect 
 to it and the off hind leg, they being in their 
 turn at the greatest distance. The fore leg 
 which leads, and the hind leg v/hich follows it 
 transversely, have the least weight to support. 
 The two others, being more immediately 
 
89 
 
 under the horse's body, have to bear the great- 
 est part of his weight. From this it follows, 
 that if a horse be taught to lead with the same 
 fore leg and hind leg, the two others, that sup- 
 port the principal weight of his body, will 
 fail sooner than the leading legs; it is there- 
 fore better to accustom a horse to lead with 
 one fore leg as well as the other. All the dif- 
 ferent degrees of speed in galloping are only a 
 series of leaps, taken quicker or slower as the 
 horse becomes more or less accelerated in his 
 motion. 
 
 Ladies* horses are generally broke to the 
 c inter, and most certainly this pace is the easi- 
 est as well as the safest for a lady. A lady 
 should never ride a trotting horse, unless he 
 performs that pace in a grand and superior 
 stile, and goes safe and v/ell above the ground; 
 beside, it is a pace that shakes too much^ and 
 it is too violent for a delicate frame. No lady 
 above a certain v/eight should ever take this 
 exercise ; for nothing has a more aukward ap- 
 pearance than a large and overgrown woman 
 on horseback, and in so perilous a situation. 
 If a lady weiglis tv/eive or thirteen stone, she 
 actUcdlv rides heavier than a man of sixteeiu 
 
which must be a great oppression to the back of 
 any common sized horse. To ladies, however, 
 that are fond of this elegant exercise, and are 
 of a reasonable v/eight, the cantering horse is 
 to be recommended, as they ride with more 
 ease and safety than on a trotting one. A can- 
 tering horse also is best for a man of a delicate 
 habit of body, as he sits easier, and is not so 
 violently agitated as on a trotting horse. In 
 going into tlie canter or gallop riders almost 
 always set their horses off with the riglu or oft" 
 foot foremost, but this ought not to be tlie 
 case, as they v/ill soon wear out two of the 
 horse's legs, and in these he would become 
 lame. 
 
 In cantering, the position of the rider ought 
 to be quite upright, and as nearly in the centre 
 of motion as possible j but in galloping, the 
 body m.ust incline forward more or less in pro- 
 portion to the velocity with which the horse 
 moves, holding a rein in each hand (if the 
 horse be on full speed) pressing the balls of 
 the feet firmly on the stirrups, feeling the 
 horse closely with the knees, and preserving 
 nearly an erect posture as high as the middle. 
 The stirrups must be sufficiently short to give 
 
91 
 
 the animal room for his play and motions. 
 You must not bear too hard on the bit, but 
 kt the horse have his head freely, if it be 
 wished to keep him on his full speed : but if it 
 is intended to save him for a push at the end 
 of a heat, it will be necessary to keep him in 
 by main force, particularly if he be fiery and 
 mettlesome. It may be observed, that in rac- 
 ing, the horse which goes off last at starting 
 often ccmcs in first, as a judicious jockey will 
 lead off coolly, keeping near his antagonist, 
 and preserving his horse's speed for exertion 
 the last half or quarter of a mile. This, is 
 esteemed the best judgment and jockey ship, in 
 a long course, for if the rider permits his horse 
 to go off too freely he v/ill not be able to keep 
 his wind the length of the course.: but for a 
 short distance, near the winning post, he may 
 push him as hard as lie pleases. 
 
 Galloping is a pace little used, except In 
 racing, which is the quickest gallop, and an 
 hunting, which does not shake the horsey on 
 account of its being on the turf 5 but scarcely 
 ever on the road, as it would shake the horse's 
 shoulders, and greatly injure him. Canteripg, 
 however, is a common pace on the highway. 
 
92 
 
 particularly for ladies. Arabian horses canter 
 in a pretty stile, and can, for a short distance, 
 take the start of English racers, but are not 
 equal, in continued exertion, to our blood- 
 horses. They are more inclined to be fat and 
 heavy j and this rotundity is a drawback on 
 their speed and wind. The wideness or 
 openness of a horse's chest causes him to ap- 
 pear more shov/y in the canter and gallop, 
 but for speed it must not be too much so. En- 
 tire horses are always wider in the chest and 
 heavier in the neck and shoulder than geldings; 
 but that arises from the circun:stance of their 
 being stallions j and notv/ithstanding this heavy 
 appearance of their forehand, it does not 
 seem to be any prejudice to their velocity : 
 though such a forehand in a gelding indicates 
 that he has not much speed; but the superior 
 ';trength of the stallion is capable of bearing 
 the additional load of flesh and v/eight of 
 chest. 
 
 Of all the paces of a horse, the fast gallop 
 or racing speed, is the most severe on the ani- 
 mal, and, very properly, is seldom practised. 
 la every other pace, some part of the body or 
 iimbs is at rest while the others are in adion^ 
 
93 
 
 but ill the gallop, it is an exertion of the whole 
 body without intermission or rest to any one 
 member. From the nature of their shape, 
 thin, middle-sized horses must eventually be 
 the quickest gallopers ; and length, with sinew, 
 bone, and action, must succeed against horses 
 of a smaller size, and shorter and rounder 
 figure. 
 
 A hare takes her springs quicker than a 
 greyhound, but a greyhound must eventually 
 overtake her on account of his greater length, 
 though his stretches are not taken so quick. 
 
 It is necessary that hunters should be able 
 to gallop at a certain speed, as v/ell as to leap ; 
 and racers must far exceed them, in velccicy : 
 but the trot, canter, and slow gallop are the 
 best paces for cavalry and saddle horses; the 
 trot, however, is the best and most useful pace 
 for them, and it is that in which they can 
 continue longest in action, without detriment. 
 to themselves. Speed therefore is not so ne- 
 cessary for this last description of horses as 
 strength and action, together with the other 
 paces enumerated. 
 
 A horse is said to gallop united when, with 
 v/hichever of the fore legs he leads, the hind 
 
94 
 
 leg on the same side follows ; but if it do not 
 follow, and the hind leg on the opposite side 
 attempts to succeed, then the horse is said to 
 gallop cross, or disunited. For instance, when 
 a horse becomes disunited on the dff side, the 
 rider, to unite him again^ or make him gallop 
 fair, must bear him a little on the hand, and 
 press his near side with his leg, or touch him 
 with the spur-, this will cause him to bring up 
 the off quarter and unite himself. A horse 
 very rarely becom.es disunited except through 
 the aukwardness of the rider, from his jarring 
 the horse by bad management of the reins, of 
 a false pressure of the legs and a wrong use of 
 the spurs. 
 
 In moving forward towards the right, a 
 horse should always lead with the off fore 
 foot j and in moving forward to the left with 
 the near fore foot. In galloping on circles, a 
 horse must always be made to lead with the 
 tg in the turn-, or, to speak more plainly, with 
 the leg next the centre of the circle in which 
 he moves ; for if he led with the outside leg, 
 he would cross it with the inside one, trip 
 himself, and come down. Even a young horse 
 ■^hcn breaking, knov/s this, and will always 
 
95 
 
 lead v/ith the proper foot. The two inside leg* 
 must always lead, and mark the way on a cir- 
 cle, whether small or great. If the circle be 
 small, as in a riding house, the danger to the 
 horse will be the greater; but for his own 
 safety the horse will always do right, unless 
 confused by the person who leads or rides him. 
 There are seven different modifications of 
 the gallop, called airs, or artificial motions, 
 the gallop being the natural one, and the 
 foundation of them. all. The natural pace of 
 the gallop, as well as the seven artificial ones, 
 are nothing more than a series of leaps, shorter 
 or longer, higher or lower, as the horse is com- 
 pelled to exert himself. The seven artificial 
 motions are called, the terra a terra, the demi- 
 volte, the cor^'-et or curvet, the capriole, the 
 croupade, the balotate, and the step and leap. 
 The terra a terra is a short and constrained 
 gallop, by throwing the horse on his haunches, 
 bringing his croupe well in, and obliging him 
 to perform a continued series of short leaps, 
 putting to the ground both his fore feet to- 
 gether, and his hind in the sam.e manner, and 
 marking two tim^es, and not four as in the 
 natural gallop. The demi-air, or demi-volte, 
 
96 
 
 IS when the horse's fore legs and forehand are 
 raised higher than in the terra a terra, and his 
 motion sloM^er, as he is kept longer on his 
 haunches, with his fore parts poised in the air. 
 The coi vet is' an air in which the horse's legs 
 and forehand are raised still higher than in the 
 two preceding, it being a sort of high leap, as 
 when a horse takes a gate, and, when the fore 
 legs are at their intended height and beginning 
 to fall, he raises his hind legs equally high ; so 
 that in this motion all his four legs are in the 
 air at once, the tv/o fore feet coming down 
 first together, and the hind feet after, marking 
 only two times. The capriole is when ahorse 
 is at his full height in making his leap : he 
 v/ith a sudden exertion strikes cut his 
 hind legs together •, the shoes meet when the 
 legs are at their full extent, and make a noise 
 by thus forcibly coming together. The croup- 
 ude is when a horse trusses his hind legs up 
 to his belly, as in taking a high standing 
 leap. This he naturally does to clear the object 
 he has to pass. The balotate is a leap in 
 which a horse attempts to strike out with his 
 hind legs, but does not 5 only shewing the shoes 
 of his hind feet. This he does v/hen he finds 
 
91 
 
 a leap he intended to take much less than he 
 expected. The capriole is accounted the 
 handsomest leap, as the horse, when at his full 
 height, seems to dart forward as^if he fled 
 through the air. The step and leap consists of 
 three airs. The step or pace in order to make 
 the leap, is the terra a terra ; the rising of the 
 fore legs and forehand is a corvet; and the air 
 ends with the leap. 
 
 These artificial airs give a horse great com- 
 mand of himself, particularly in hunting, but 
 it is not worth the pains to teach them unless 
 the animal be a very capital one. The 
 terra a terra, or constrained gallop, in which 
 a horse^s forehand is raised well, and he 
 is thrown on his haunches, is the handsomest, 
 and most necessary for every cavalry horse to 
 i)e taught. 
 
98 
 
 CHAP. XXVIII. 
 
 ON AMBLING, AND THE SHUFFLING OR 
 RUNNING TROT. 
 
 AMBLING is a pace which may be some- 
 times natural, but is more frequently the effect 
 of art. In ambling, a horse moves two feet on 
 the same side at the same time, or at least 
 moves them nearer at the same time than in 
 the walk. "When a horse ambles naturally he 
 does it best, and it is a pace which is very easy 
 to the rider; but the artificial amble is not so 
 pleasant, and all his other paces are much in- 
 jured by it. Galloways and ponies amble 
 more frequently than larger horses, in conse- 
 quence of' the manner in which they are 
 fastened on commons or mountains to prevent 
 their breaking into corn fields or meadows, 
 or from running away. They are usually tied 
 two legs on a side with a rope or fetters, which 
 obliges them to move both their feet at the 
 same time. If they are thus fastened when 
 
99 
 
 young, ambling becomes almost natural to 
 them. 
 
 There are various modes of teaching horses 
 to amble, but the best is with trammels, 
 tying two legs on a side, and drawing them as 
 close together as possible without endangering 
 their falling; for if the side ropes were too 
 long, the animal would attempt his natural 
 paces. The place to fix the ropes is above the 
 fetlock, behind and before, and from the mid- 
 dle of them a band is to go over the back, 
 to keep the ropes from falling too low ; but 
 this will be unnecessary if his legs be drawn 
 rather tight, as they will thus always keep the 
 side ropes on the stretch. A horse generally 
 ambles at the rate of five, six, or seven miles 
 an hour. 
 
 There is another uncommon pace, much 
 like ambling, but considerably quicker, which 
 is called the shuffling or running trot. It is a 
 pace not to be produced by art, and is in 
 general very speedy. 
 
 F2 
 
lOO 
 
 CHAP. XXIX. 
 
 ON LAMENESS. 
 
 IN all cases of lameness it may be perceived 
 by the motion of the horse's head, which he 
 stoops more or less, in proportion as he is 
 more slightly or deeply affected. In the walk 
 or on the trot, lameness is most perceptible. 
 In the gallop it Is not so easily observed, be- 
 cause the horse forgets the pain while in the 
 violence of action. When a horse is lame, 
 the motion of the head keeps pace with the 
 lame foot, which he lifts suddenly, in order 
 to throw the weight of the head on the sound 
 foot and the quarter of the body which is best 
 able to bear it. A lame horse always rests as 
 long as possible on the sound foot, remaining 
 a considerable time longer on it than on the 
 lame one. When a lame horse is standing, he 
 always eases the lame foot by standing on the 
 other three, letting the toe only of the lame 
 
 < 
 
101 
 
 foot rest on the ground; and when he is put 
 into action he always begins his motion with 
 the lame foot, in order that he may rest as 
 long as possible on the sound one opposite 
 to it. 
 
10.2. 
 
 CHAP. XXX. 
 
 ON THE MOTION OF THE CROUPE AND HIND 
 QXJARTERS. 
 
 AS die action of every horse's forehriiici 
 depends on the proper formation of his joints, 
 and the facility with which he bends them, so 
 the action of the quarters depends on the 
 formation of the hind quarters, and his com- 
 mand of the joints behind, corresponding in 
 number with those before. For a horse to 
 move well behind, as a cavalry or saddle horse, 
 and to be properly suited to those purposes, he 
 must not be too high. Should a horse be so 
 formed, he will move with difficulty to himself 
 and unpleasantly to his rider, and throw the 
 weight too much forward j he v/ill have what 
 is called a rocking or swinging croupe j and 
 this proceeds from the following causes : — 
 As soon as a horse prepares himself for action, 
 which always commences with the fore parts, 
 
103 
 
 he must bend his joints, or contract them up- 
 wards before he can put his foot forward. It 
 is the same with the hind legs. "When a horse 
 stands high behind, it is in consequence of his 
 hind legs being disproportioned in length to 
 the fore legs; therefore, before he can pass 
 the hind foot forward, he is obliged to bend or 
 contract the joints upwards, in order that it 
 may clear the ground; and as the hind parts 
 are disproportionably high, the motion caused 
 by bending each leg will be the greater, which 
 occasions the horse to tilt up each quarter al- 
 ternately, and the rider along with it; and this 
 is the sole cause of his swinging or rocking 
 his croupe. Such horses, when they become 
 tired or out of condition, exhibit this motion 
 in a much greater degree than at any other 
 period ; and they also wear the hind foot hoof 
 and shoe a great deal at the toe, as it takes the 
 ground at every motion, and drags against it. 
 
 Those who will take the trouble to observe a 
 horse whose forehand is well up, and that 
 stands a little lov/er behind than before, will 
 perceive how little .the croupe rocks; and in 
 riding such a horse will find how much more 
 pleasantly he will carry in comparison to the 
 
204 
 
 other. It IS supposed, however, that the hind 
 quarters of running horses being high is no 
 detriment, but quite the reverse, if the course 
 be on af3at, or up hill, because such formation 
 of his body gives the horse a power of acting 
 as it vi^ere dov/n an inclined plane on the flat, 
 and on a seeming level up any ascent. The 
 hind legs of hares are nearly twice as long as 
 their fore ones. When they walk, they throw 
 their rumps very high, and v/hen closely pur- 
 sued will alw.ys take a rising ground, well 
 aware th.it ihe length of their hind quarters 
 gives them a decided superiority in the ascent. 
 Horses for either the cavalry or the saddle are 
 not intended for swiftness, and require a cer- 1 
 tain form and action peculiar to those pur- 
 poses; they must be firm and compact, strong 
 in the quarters, and well up in the forehand. 
 Horses v/hose hind quarters are higlier than the 
 forehand, have looser flanks, and are not ribbed 
 up so close as those that have their forehand 
 well up ; but for the reasons above assigned 
 they usually gallop fast, and when they stretch i 
 themselves, have more room to bring in their 
 haunches. Though Arabian and most of the 
 foreign horses stand with tlieir fore legs much 
 
105 
 
 under them, they seldom come down, because 
 the forehand being well up, the weight is 
 thrown from their shoulders to their back j 
 but if a horse that is low before stood so, he 
 would inevitably come down. Since, there- 
 fore, men neither go into battle to run races, 
 nor ride with velocity for pleasure, their horses 
 should possess a due proportion of action and 
 bodily power. 
 
to6 
 
 CHAP. XXXI. 
 
 OTSr THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STALLIONS, 
 MARES, AND GELDINGS, IN POINT OF SER- 
 VICE. 
 
 IT has been frequently disputed whether 
 gelding of horses be an advantage or disad- 
 vantage, and whether their strength and action 
 be not impaired by this operation. It may be 
 urged in favour of stallions, that as nature 
 does nothing in vain, and as she in her regu- 
 lar operations created them entire, they ought 
 to remain so; but this argument cannot be well 
 maintained *, for as those animals seem to have 
 been created by the Deity for the use of man, 
 and man being a rational creature, he ought to- 
 use his reason in converting them to the uses 
 best adapted to his interest and convenience. 
 The same argument may be urged in favour of 
 
sheep, swine, black cattle, &c. &c. but as it 
 is found from experience that depriving them 
 of the parts alluded to enhances their value, 
 and makes them more suitable to our purposes, 
 we have a right to exercise our authority over 
 them in thus changing their nature. A stal- 
 lion is certainly not so serviceable as a gelding, 
 his passions prey on him, he is more vicious, 
 and is sooner broken down, and on account of 
 the violence of his nature he is more difficult 
 to be kept in condition. In France, where 
 horses have not half the spirit of ours, I have 
 seen eight stallions in one dihgence. When they 
 became heated, they kicked and bit each otiier 
 the whole way, and v/ere so viciously stubborn 
 that the driver could not force them to move in 
 any pace but what they chose. Upon asking 
 the driver v/hy they did not geld them, he re- 
 plied, that it would deprive them of their spirit, 
 but that it would be better to do so, if it v/ould 
 deprive them of their bad spirit and vicious 
 habits. 
 
 The people on the continent of Europe and 
 
 Asia are partial to entire horses, with long 
 
 tails, which are sufFered to grow as well for 
 
 ornament as to defend themselves against flies, 
 
 f6 
 
io8 
 
 gnats, Sec. but it must be acknowledged, thac 
 the constant switching of a horse's tail is very- 
 unpleasant, and it is the principal reason why 
 they are not suffered to grow in this country, 
 where perhaps there is less occasion for them; 
 but independently of this, it is as necessary to 
 study our own convenience as that of the horse. 
 Some stallions may be good-natured, but the 
 majority of them are vicious and savage, and 
 instances have occurred of their destroying 
 those who have had them under their manage- 
 ment. It appears, therefore, upon the whole, 
 that gelding of horses renders them less vicious, 
 and more useful and tractable. 
 
 As to mares, they are not so much esteemed 
 for the saddle as geldings, and dealers always 
 give a much higher price for a gelding than for 
 a mare of the same size and figure. One strong 
 reason for setting less value on mares isj 
 that in the spring and autumn, for natural rea- 
 sons) they become weak and enervated. 
 
iog[: 
 
 CHAP. XXXII. 
 
 ON HORSES PROPER FOR LIGHT HARNESS. 
 
 THOSE of the cavalry and saddle size are 
 the fittest horses for the purpose of light har- 
 ness; and as extraordinary speed is not requi- 
 site, the rate of from seven to ten miles an 
 hour is sufficient either for single or double 
 harness •, and no horse that can perform thus 
 much should be objected to on account of 
 being low before and heavy in the chest. In- 
 deed a horse that is intended for harnessj on 
 account of having the v/hole, or at least the 
 greater part of the weight of his work de- 
 pending on the pull, is the better for a strong 
 shoulder and an open chest ; and as the v/eight 
 is thrown off his shoulders, there will be no 
 fear of his coming down j thus we often iind 
 that horses unfit for one sort of work are best 
 
no 
 
 adapted for another j it tlierefore becomes the 1 
 business of those who buy horses to take care 1 
 that they are so formed as to answer the pur- 
 pose for which they intend them. 
 
1 II 
 
 CHAP. xxxm. 
 
 ON EXTERNAL BLEMISHES^ 
 
 IN choosing horses, great care must be 
 taken that they have no external blemishes. 
 If they be clean, well made, and free from 
 them, the chance is greatly in favour of the 
 purchaser that they are sound all over, and 
 healthy in their constitutions. The eyes should 
 be sound, full, and healthy in appearance, and 
 the skin of a silky softness ; for if the hair be 
 rough, and inclined to stand upright, it is a 
 sign that the animal is unhealthy, and that he 
 has the worms or some other internal com- 
 plaint. The fore legs should be clean, firm, 
 bony, and free from splints or ringbones 
 about the pasterns; the hind lego should be 
 also clean, and well made, and free from 
 grease, lumps, or swellings, which indicate the 
 
112 
 
 spavin if they are seen any where about the 
 houghs. It should be particularly observed 
 that the skin on the knees is very soft, that 
 there are no knots or indurations on the cap of 
 the knee, and that the hair does not stand 
 rough, for these are certain signs of his hav- 
 ing been down. 
 
 Those who purchase horses should observe 
 that the knees are fiat upon the joint, and that 
 they feel soft. On passing the fingers close 
 down the joints, the animal should stand with 
 his feet forward and his knees quite straight, 
 so that in looking across the knees they do not 
 appear projecting and crippled, which is either 
 a natural defect in the formation of the knees,- 
 or the consequence of having been down^ 
 which contracts the skin, and causes a stiffness 
 in straightening them. It is easy to tell when 
 a horse has beeti badly, or even slightly cut, by 
 feeling the knees, as knots and indur-ations al- 
 ways rem.ain, and the hair stands very stiff^ 
 hard, and rough on those parts •, and when the 
 skin is once cut through, nothing can com- 
 pletely cure or conceal the blemish -, the hair 
 often becomes white, which is easily perceived 
 m all colours, except grey. If a grey horse 
 
p 
 
 113 
 
 comes dov/n, though not badly, It Is not notice- 
 able by indifferent observers, but good judges 
 alv/ays know by the feel. If a horse's legs be 
 dark coloured, and he has not been badly cut, 
 and only a few white hairs appear, horse- 
 dealers have a black ointment with which they 
 colour the spot for the moment, and by these 
 means frequently deceive those who are not 
 aware of the practice. 
 
14 
 
 CHAP. XXXIV. 
 
 ON THE WIND. 
 
 EIGHT years of age is about the time wliicK 
 a horse's wind begins to be affected, but horses 
 may become thick-winded before that time, 
 particularly if they i-icline to corpulence; for 
 the intestines and the inside of the horse being 
 fat, there is not space enough for them, which 
 causes them to press strongly forward upon 
 the midriff, and force it into the space allotted 
 for tlie lungs. The horse thus affected takes 
 in his wind very well, but it is discharged again 
 too quickly, for the reasons now mentioned. 
 Such horses ought to be fed on diet v/hich is 
 rather nourishing than fattening, and to be 
 kept in a middling condition, and not to be 
 put to v/ork immediately after feeding. 
 
 Next to thick wind succeeds purslness, 
 which arises from colds, surfeits, unwhole- 
 some food, bad air, &c. w^hich cause internal 
 
1^5 
 
 inildmmations, and ulcers on the lungs, wliicli 
 so alFect them as to destroy, in some measure, 
 their elastic power and disposition to their 
 natural action. In all cases where the wind is 
 affected, immoderate feeding must be avoided; 
 lor if the guts and stomach be too full, they 
 will press against the midriff and lungs, and 
 make the horse much worse. The third and 
 last case is tire downright broken wind, whicli 
 follows pursiness, and is produced from 
 nearly the same causes, but in a more excessive 
 degree. The most desperate case is caused by 
 ignorant people giving a horse too hard exer-- 
 cise with a full belly, and particularly by 
 putting him on his speed in the gallop. This 
 overstrains the lungs, destroys their elasticity, 
 and renders them ever after incapable of per- 
 forming their natural functions. In every 
 stage of broken wind, from tlie slightest symp- 
 tom of thick wind to the last and worst stage 
 of broken wind, moderate feeding is best, and 
 such food as will pass easily off, and not occa- 
 sion costiveness. All animals, when young, 
 have their wind better than old ones ; because 
 their intestines and inside are not so large and 
 fat, and after victuals, respiration is more diih- 
 cult. 
 
ii6 
 
 Horses that are thick whided are usually 
 called snorers, wheezers, or blowers. Snoring 
 arises from the nostrils being too narrow, and 
 in respiration, from contraction of the passage 
 the air is forced through them very strongly. 
 Wheezing arises from the lungs being affected 
 with anasthmaj cold, cough, or some such in- 
 ternal cause. Blowing is, of the three, the 
 nearest in afEnity to broken wind, and arises 
 from the breath being forced out very suddenly. 
 In all cases v/here the wind is affected the 
 horse takes his breath In tolerably well 5 but 
 from the lungs having been overstrained, and 
 having lost their retentive and elastic power, 
 the air escapes suddenly with a jerk, which is 
 very perceptible at the flanks by their sudden 
 falling. The fatter a horse is, the fuller, of 
 course, will be his inside, and there will be the 
 less room for air ; and fatness always increases 
 the complaint. All animals pant very quick, 
 and breathe with more difEculty when thrown 
 into a heat by running, or any other severe ex- 
 ercise; the cause of which is, that the heat 
 thus excited swells every thing inside the ani- 
 mal, and leaves little space for breath. Broken 
 winded and thick winded horses are not very 
 
117 
 
 numerous, and tliey will do very well for those 
 exercises in which they are not hurried. But 
 it is vain to attempt to cure them, for when 
 the lungs are once affected in this way, it will 
 be next to impossible to restore them. The 
 best way to ascertain whether a horse has any 
 complaint in his lungs is, to take a firm hold of 
 his windpipe, and stop his breath for a short 
 time; if his lungs be affected badly he will 
 throw off corrupt mattery if not, what comes 
 from his nostrils will be rather clear and pure. 
 In buying a horse, he should be mounted, and 
 put on his speed for two or three hundred 
 yards, and his manner of breathing observed -, 
 if his wind be thick, touched, or broken, it 
 will scon appear by the irregularity of respira- 
 tioQ, and the heaving of his flanks. 
 
ii8 
 
 CHAP. XXXV 
 
 ON HOGGING. 
 
 THIS mode of cutting or trimming the 
 mane is so called from the resemblance it bears 
 to the bristles of a hog when erect on his back. 
 When a horse's mane stands up rough and un- 
 natural, and will not lie on either side, it is 
 best to hog it: but that a hog mane might 
 have a good appearance, the neck must be well 
 formed, that is, it must curve regularly and 
 naturally towards the ears, and have a fine 
 crest. Unless the ears are light and handsome 
 it would be better to have them cropped close 
 liud round when his mane is hogged. This 
 mode of trimming the mane does not become 
 every horse, especially those which are large 
 or long backed, nor what are called goat-necked, 
 ewe-necked, deer-necked, oj* camel-necked 
 
119 
 
 horses, as before observed. Tlie operation is 
 best suited for ponies, galloways, and small 
 horses, but they ought to be compact and v/ell 
 made. Hogging keeps horses cool in the 
 spring and summer seasons, and prevents 
 their sweating, as nothing tends to heat a 
 horse more than a mane loaded witli too mucii 
 hair. Horses thus trimmed ought to have the 
 hair cut very close and short the first time. 
 This causes it to point directly upwards, which 
 it would not do if left too long at first cutting, 
 as the points would bend downwards. To 
 make it look well, it m.ust be cut so as to form 
 a regular curve, the same as the neck, and at 
 the ends of the hair the mane must be cut 
 away quite fine, until the top of the mane, 
 from the withers to the ears, exhibits only a 
 single row of hair; this gives it a light appear- 
 ance. If the horse be heavy necked, the hair 
 must be cut the shorter, in order to produce 
 the eftect of lightening it, and giving it a hand- 
 some appearance; but if he be thin and light 
 necked, the mane must be left higher, to pro- 
 duce the contrary effect. Hogging not only 
 keeps a horse cool, but he looks neat, if he be 
 such as above described; yet it must be con- 
 
120 
 
 fessed, that it gives him an unnatural appear- 
 ance. Nothing looks better than the natural 
 mane, and if it be too thick, it may be light- 
 ened by having some of the hairs pulkd out. 
 
121 
 
 CHAP. XXXVI. 
 
 ON THE SHAPES OF STALLIONS, MARES, AND 
 GELDINGS. 
 
 ALL male animals are more robust In their 
 form than the female. StaUions, bulls, rams, 
 boars, &c. exhibit a m.ore muscular figure than 
 if submitted to castration. The juices in those 
 animals being stronger, tend to swell their 
 muscles, and give them the masculine appear- 
 ance which is peculiar to them. In countries 
 where the inhabitants do not castrate their 
 male sheep, bulls, swine, buffaloes, &c. the 
 flesh is intolerably rank, and unsavoury to the 
 taste. 
 
 Horses, after undergoing this process, be- 
 come lighter, and finer in their shapes, and are 
 not so much loaded with flesh and large mus- 
 cles about the forehand and chest, but have 
 more the figure and shape of the female 5 and 
 
 G 
 
122 
 
 it even affects their temper and their voices. A 
 gelding that is vicious and unruly vi^ould have 
 been unmanageable if he had remained entire. 
 A gelding may be known from a stallion by Iiis 
 neighing J but it is difficult to distinguish him 
 from a mare by his voice ; and it is well known 
 that this operation produces a similar effect in 
 every description of animals. 
 
 The eye v/ould be gratified at seeing a body 
 of dragoons mounted on entire horses, but 
 their passions and viciousness render them un- 
 fit for the purpose. 
 
 Colts must not be gelded too young, or they 
 will become effeminate ; nor too old, or they 
 will be vicious in their temper. 
 
 It is an unquestionable truth that stallions 
 are infinitely handsomer, and are more compact, 
 in all their shapes than geldings or mares, and 
 their long flowing tails and waving manes pro- 
 duce a grander effect on the mind of the 
 observer than other horses-, but when a num- 
 ber of them are together, in the army -for in- 
 stance, and particularly if they have already 
 covered, or if mares are in company, they are 
 in a continual state of irritation, biting and 
 kicking each other, and are more intent on 
 
123 
 
 looking for the female than in obeying their 
 riders. Maiden stalHons are quite different in 
 their tempers to those that have once had mares; 
 they are gentle and tractable, and may be used 
 together in harness as quietly as geldings; but 
 immediatjely after they have been used to cover, 
 they become more savage to each other, and 
 very restless if kept in high condition. No 
 Irrational animal on the face of the earth ex- 
 hibits so beautiful and grand an appearance as 
 a well-formed, middle-sized, blood stallion, 
 compact and complete In all his members, and 
 left as the hand of nature finished him. Every 
 touch of art tends to spoil the perfection of 
 his figure, with the exception of shoeing, 
 which is only to preserve what nature formed 
 so well ; and if such a horse be well broken, 
 and mounted by a good rider, the toute en- 
 semble exhibits the finest production that 
 nature has shewn in her variety of animate 
 beings. In the dragoon service, however, 
 nature must, In this, as well as in Qther re- 
 spects, yield to art. 
 
124 
 
 CHAP. XXXVII. 
 
 0:< RESTIVE HORSES, AND THE METHOD OF 
 CORRECTING THEM. 
 
 Some horses are of so vicious a temper that 
 they w^ill frequently do only what they please, 
 go at vi^hat pace they choose, and w^hichever 
 way they take into their heads. Horses of this 
 description generally object to going from 
 home, and indeed most of them return toward 
 their stables with more ajacrity than they set 
 out j vv^hich is very natural in irrational crea- 
 tures, whose chief pleasure is eating and drink- 
 ing. A horse will frequently stop at those 
 places to which he has been accustomed; nei- 
 ther force or severity will induce him to pass 
 particular objects. Sometimes he will go back- 
 wards instead of forwards ; and good horses 
 are often spoiled from being rode by boys and 
 timid riders, of which the horse is soon sensi- 
 ble, and will avail himself of the advantage of 
 
12. 
 
 superior strength, raid endeavour to disencum- 
 ber himsdf by rearing, kicking up, and plung- 
 ing. Such horses should be mounted by good 
 and rt^solute riders, and the whip and spurs 
 applied vigorously to his sides, which opera- 
 tions will, when used together, strike him witti 
 terror; and most probably, if he be not vicious 
 in an extraordinary degree, Vv-ill effectually check 
 his obstinacy. Whipping him behind will 
 also be of considerable service in sending him 
 forward; but if neither gentle means nor 
 force v/ill effect a remedy, recourse must be 
 had to art. Take a handful of very dry strav/, 
 put it under liis tail, and set fire to it ; and as 
 soon as he feels the heat, he will go forward 
 with alacrity; or it may be done by laying a 
 small bar of heated iron across his posteriors. 
 Either of these methods will effectually break 
 him of restiveness. 
 
 Beside being vicious, obstinate, and restive, a 
 horse may aiso be timid, and sliy of various ob- 
 jects, such as heaps of dirt on the road side, 
 carriages, waggons, and dead animals ; and the 
 noise of drums, firing of cannon, &c. may 
 frighten him if young and unaccustomed to 
 them. If a horse shuns such objects, no no- 
 ^3 
 
126 
 
 tice should be taken of his starting a little, as 
 it is a good sign, unless he is seriously fright- 
 ened; on such an occasion it is best to let the 
 reins be loose and free, but at the same time 
 the rider should be on his guard without seem- 
 ing to be so; and when the animal finds that 
 his starting is unobserved, it is most probable 
 that he will pass the object of his alarm qui- 
 etly. When a horse begins to start, and feels 
 his rider gather up the reins hastily, he then 
 apprehends there is actually reason for alarm, 
 as he concludes that the rider, from putting 
 himself into an attitude of safety, is frightened 
 also ; but by suffering the reins to be loose, it 
 will shew him that his fears are groundless; 
 but if he persist in his obstinacy, it is neces- 
 sary to apply coercion, and to ride him boldly 
 up to the object at which he takes fright; for 
 if he once gets the better of his rider in this 
 respect, he will always remain untractable. 
 
 Some horses will naturally stand hre, the 
 noise of drums, &c. but these are few. The 
 best way to make them steady at such noises is 
 to fire pistols at the stable door before and at 
 the time you give him his oats, or let a drum 
 be beaten at the same time, and whenever he 
 
127 
 
 hecrs these or similar sounds, he will naturallf 
 conclude that he Is about to be fed, and will 
 hear them rather with pleasure than alarm. 
 
 If you wish your horse to be accustomed to 
 military exercise, and to break him. to t!ie use 
 of pistols, carabine, and sabre, (this also will 
 be sufficient to break him for shooting,) you 
 must let him see those instruments whilst he is 
 eating his oats. You rnay first begin by cock- 
 ing the pistols, and snapping them without 
 priming, then proceed to flash in the pan with 
 a little powder, and afterwards fire a small 
 charge, and so on. These things are to be 
 done first in the stable near the horse, but 
 afterwards across his back; you must at the 
 same time humour him, in order to convince 
 him that it is done in good nature. Then 
 hang the pistols, &c. up in the stable, in such 
 a situation that the horse may always have his 
 eye upon them. With respect to the sabre 
 exercise, you must act differently. First draw 
 and return the sword frequently in t'he stable 
 while he feeds ; lean on his back v/ith the right 
 arm, holding the sabre in tlie same liand, and 
 continue moving it gently till the horse be- 
 comes accustomed to itj afterwards pass it 
 G 4 
 
128 
 
 quicker round his head and about liis eyes. 
 When you mount; begin moderately in the 
 same way; for a horse is very tender and thin 
 in the bones of the head and skull, and in- 
 stinct teaches him to guard it with great 
 caution. Every animal is well acquainted in 
 vi^hat parts he is most vulnerable, and con- 
 sequently protects them with much care. If, 
 after a horse is m^ounted, he is still shy of the 
 brightness of the sword, a stick or cane should 
 be used for a time in making the different cuts, 
 and care must be taken to cut clean and wide 
 of him ; for if a horse be once struck through 
 aukwardness, it will be difficult to make him 
 forget it. 
 
 A man should never, if he can avoid it, be 
 out of temper with his horse ; but such is the 
 depravity and brutality of some of the human 
 species, that they are shockingly cruel to these 
 useful animals, and beat them unmercifully. 
 Nothing is more cowardly than this, as the 
 poor creatures can neither complain, nor are 
 they permitted to resist. Beating a horse for 
 little o'r no cause will break his spirit and spoil 
 him. A horse is particularly afraid of being 
 beaten about the head, because the bones of the 
 
129 
 
 head are in many parts extremely thin and 
 tender, and a trifling blow will fracture it. 
 Gentle means will subdue 'almost every horse, 
 unless he be uncommonly vicious ; but if he 
 will not submit without beating, he ought to be 
 flogged about the body, but should never be 
 struck on the head. 
 
 Horses are very timid by night; for we may 
 naturally suppose that if they are liable to 
 take fright by day, as they do, their fears must 
 be increased at night, when, from the imperfect 
 view they have of every object, their imagina- 
 tion represents them as so many objects of ter- 
 ror. Horses very frequently sweat profusely 
 under the rider at night, merely fram fear, 
 when they have perceived any thing that gave 
 them uncommon alarm. 
 
 When a horse travels in company with 
 others, he goes much better, does not so soon 
 become tired, nor is he apt to take fright so 
 readily; and this is the case with all animals; 
 they are less timid, and by no means so liable 
 to alarm when a number of them is to- 
 gether. Courage is observable in a greater or 
 less degree in the race of horses as well as 
 among men. The more blood a horse shev/s, 
 ^'5 
 
130 
 
 the greater is his courage, and he is less liable 
 to take fright : stallions are less fearful than 
 either mares or geldings. 
 
 When a horse becomes restive, the conduct 
 of the rider should be very different from that 
 which is generally adopted; for it must be 
 evident to those v^^ho are accustomed to the 
 tempers of horses, that gentle treatment 
 will generally have a better effect than either 
 harshness or coercion; and it were to be 
 wished, though the most provoking stubborn- 
 ness is sometimes exhibited by these animals, 
 that gentle remedies were always applied ; for 
 though contrary means may be resorted to, 
 under the influence of anger, the result is too 
 often attended with serious injury to the horse, 
 and disappointment to his rider. 
 
 High spirited horses, and those that have a 
 good deal of blood, will very rarely take fright, 
 or be restive or unruly, after they are once 
 properly broke in. It is those of a sluggish 
 and stupid nature that are most vicious and vin- 
 dictive against the rider, and they are scarcely 
 worth the trouble of breaking for the saddle. 
 Almost all horses are at first shy of taking the 
 water, they must therefore be led to a place 
 
where there Is a fine hard bottom, deepening 
 gradually ; for if the horse feels the bottom 
 soft or muddy, it will be found almost im- 
 possible to prevail upon him to proceed. 
 
 If your horse can swim, and you wish to 
 cross a river, take it slanting, or with the cur- 
 rent ; for if the distance be considerable, he 
 will become tired by labouring too m.uch if 
 you keep his head against the stream, and you 
 will be in danger of drowning. A horse will 
 never be restive or stubborn in the water, as 
 he dreads too much his situation; you must 
 therefore let him have his head, and guide him 
 gently, and as was before observed, obliquely 
 with die current. Good-tempered horses are 
 easily cured of restiveness, but those that are 
 naturally vicious will retain something of it 
 during their lives. 
 
 G:6 
 
332 
 
 CHAP. XXXVIII. 
 
 ON SHOEING. 
 
 NATURE, in forming the foot of the horse, 
 covered it with a hard hoof, and from this it 
 should seem that it never was intended that 
 iron shoes should be affixed to them with nails 
 of the same metal ; but art in most cases in- 
 troduces improvements, and puts a finishing 
 hand to the operations of nature. Had not 
 highways and pavements been invented by art, 
 for the convenience and use of mankind, 
 horse-shoes would never have been necessary -, 
 but as one necessity begets another, so one im.- 
 provement introduces another. The hoof of 
 a horse is formed sufficiently hard for the turf, 
 and for agricultural purposes in a moderate 
 way, but not enough so for drawing large 
 loads, and supporting heavy burthens and 
 riders on hard pavements and rough gravelly 
 highways. To make horses, therefore, equal to 
 
this task, shoeing them was thought the most 
 efficient plan, and was adopted to enable them 
 to perform tlieir dilTerent labours, and to sup- 
 port their bodies and loads with more facility. 
 Shoeing, therefore, having become absolutely- 
 necessary, it is incumbent on man, for whom 
 these useful animals toil, as well as administer 
 to his pleasures, requiring nothing in return 
 but sustenance, to exert every effort of his 
 genius to afford them the greatest ease and 
 comfort, not only in this, but in every other 
 requisite for the performance of their work. 
 In preparing the foot for the shoe, as little as 
 possible of the horny substance should be 
 pared away ; indeed nothing more should bs 
 removed than the inequalities which prevent 
 the shoe from sitting fair and even ; and any 
 sand which may have penetrated the hoof 
 ought to be carefully picked out; for if it be 
 suffered to. remain, by the pressure of the foot 
 against the shoe it would work deeper in. 
 The frog and bars ought not to be cut down 
 to the quick by ignorant farriers, which they 
 call opening their heels; a practice too gene- 
 rally adopted. Paring away the heels, the 
 bar, and the frog is the operation that puts a 
 
J34 
 
 finishing stroke to the destruction of the foot- 
 It causes the heels totally to close, and the 
 horse soon becomes lame. The bars being 
 placed there by nature, and strongly connected 
 with the heels at their widest extremes, seem to 
 be purposely places to press outward the crust 
 or horny substance at the extremities of the 
 quarters when the hoof becomes dry, and has 
 a propensity to shrivel and contract. The bars 
 exhibit a mathematical angle, the two sides of 
 which form a junction near the centre of the 
 foot, and widen regularly outward until they 
 join the crust at the heels. These are not 
 equally strong in all horses ; the weaker they 
 are, with mxore caution ought they to be 
 guarded, and not injured by paring away *, for 
 when the crust becomes strongest, it overcomes 
 tiieir elastic power, and the extremities of the 
 quarters encroach gradually until the heels are 
 quite closed, and the horse consequently lame. 
 The feet should barely be cleared of the super- 
 fluous callosities that adhere to them; for even 
 the smallest shaving that is unnecessarily pared 
 away tends to destroy the elasticity of the 
 horny substance which affords protection to 
 tUe sensible foot. The feet of horses are as 
 
135 
 dirFerently formed as the feet of men. One 
 horse has- a long foot, and pointed at the toe; 
 the foot of another is formed Hke that of a 
 mule; a third has a small hoof, a fourth a 
 large one, and a fifth has a foot perfectly- 
 formed in every part. One horse has a fine 
 open heel, another a narrow, close, and con- 
 tracted heel, a third has too high an heel, and 
 another too low; some horses have soles too 
 low and flat, and rather convex than concave, 
 as they ought to be. The formation of the 
 feet of young horses is more similar than after 
 they have been frequently shod and worked 
 hard. If too great a weight has been laid on 
 their backs when young, they are obliged to 
 exert themxselves before their joints are pro- 
 perly fastened, which spoils their shapes, and 
 particularly their feet and hoofs. A pressure 
 on their back at too early an age forces their 
 soles downwards, and gives them a convex: 
 appearance, which they retain ever after, or at 
 least makes the soles too flat. Indeed horses 
 that have arrived at a proper age have their 
 feet spoiled by too hard work. These varieties 
 of shape and form, therefore, ought to be ob- 
 served, and carefully remedied by farriers aa 
 
136 
 
 much as possible, in forming the shoes and in 
 shoeing horses. The shoes of the generahty 
 of draught horses sit aukwardly, and particu- 
 larly on the inside of the foot, and the hoofs 
 of such horses are generally flat and ill shaped. 
 This is owing to the great exertion required 
 in drawing their load : the great force with 
 which they place their feet to the ground, and 
 the weight they draw, forces the sensible foot 
 downwards, and flattens the sole ; the conse- 
 quence of which is, the crust of the foot 
 sinks inward after the sensible part, and has a 
 hollow appearance all round. The foot 
 lengthens considerably ; and the outward part 
 of the shoe, from the toe round to the heel, 
 receiving most of the pressure, is consequently 
 most worn •, the inside of the foot not having 
 much pressure, shrinks upwards, and the shoe 
 is obliged to follow it, M^hich causes the feet 
 of many horses, especially if they have been 
 used long in the draught, to be crooked up- 
 wards inside *, and this happens more particu- 
 larly to such as point their toes a little in- 
 wards ', and their work occasions most of them 
 to do so. It is useless to attempt a change of 
 them •, the only remedy is to fit the shoes to 
 the feet- 
 
137 
 
 As the {eet of hdrses, therefore, assume vari- 
 ous forms, the shoes must be fitted to the feet, 
 and not the feet pared away to accommodate 
 the shoes. The handsomest foot is that which 
 has a roundish rather than a long form, with 
 an open heel, and plenty of hoof, sufficiently 
 deep from the coronet in front to the point of 
 the toe, and the quarters diminishing gradually 
 in depth until they arrive at the heel, where 
 they terminate, and where the crust is lowest; 
 and the reason of its being lowest at the heel 
 is, that after having bent his knee well, the 
 horse may be able to straighten it again, which 
 he could not do so well if the heel were too 
 high; and shoes turned up too much for ca- 
 valry and saddle horses produce this effect. In 
 preparing the foot for the shoe, nothing should 
 b^ taken away from the sole but what is quite 
 superfluous — the soft, mealy substance that 
 accumulates between the hoof and shoe of a 
 horse that has been already shod, and particu- 
 larly in white-footed horses (which is not met 
 with in the hoofs of a horse that has run bare- 
 foot at grass for some time), and filing off the 
 inequalities and breaks that occur round the 
 circumference of the hoof outside. After this 
 
'38 
 
 is done, the slioe ought to he tried and fitted 
 to the foot. If the horse be narrow or close- 
 heeied, the shoe must also be close. In heels 
 tKat are narrow and sound by nature, the shoe 
 must be formed exactly to the foot ; but if 
 heels are contracted by disease, the shoes must 
 he made wider, in order to give the heels 
 liberty to expand again to their original form. 
 The shoe should be so formed on the inside as 
 that the principal part of the pressure might 
 fall upon the circumference of the hoof, which 
 is naturrliy the hardest and strongest. It 
 should fall av/ny from the outward to the in- 
 ward edge with a gentle descent, so that when 
 the foot is taken up after being shod, there may 
 be a very small space between the sole of the 
 foot and the shoe. There are two objects to 
 be attained by the shoe falling away in this 
 manner ; the first is, that the shoe may not 
 press too close to the inward part of the sole, 
 which is the more tender as it approaches the 
 centre of the foot , and another no less impor- 
 t,)nt reason for the shoe slanting downwards is, 
 that if any gravel happen to accumulate be- 
 tween the sole and the shoe it will not remain 
 tliere, but by the motion of the foot will slide 
 
^39 
 
 out again, which, oti account of the d'esceiity 
 it will not fail to do ; and when the feet are 
 washed and picked at night, or after a journey, 
 before the horse is put into the stable, any 
 sand or gravel will come out the more easy, on 
 account of this form of the shoe. Round the 
 extreme circumference of the shoe is where 
 the weight ought to lie, and this is demon- 
 strated by taking a horse with a fine foot, that 
 never v/as shod, and letting him walk on a 
 tough clay path ; he Vv'ill mark his foot ckurly 
 and deeply round the outward edge, but the 
 sole will scarcely make any impression, and 
 the bars and frog a very slight one. This plainly 
 shews where the weight naturally lies. 
 
 Though a horse's foot be suinciently strong 
 to carry his own weight, and though the frog 
 and bars mark the soft ground under the foot 
 but slightly, yet no pressure, or at least very 
 little, should fall, or actually does fall, on tlM 
 part of the sole, and on the rest of the heart of 
 the sole there should be none. V/hen, there- 
 fore a horse is shod, and a load or rider put on 
 his back, the shoe ought to be so formed that 
 no part of the sole might touch it except the 
 outv/ard edge of the hoof ail round. The toe 
 
140 
 
 cf the shoes ought to be of a sufficient thickness, 
 and so contrived inside as to suffer little or no 
 pressure to fall on the bars or frog -, because 
 this pressure re^iches the sensible sole, and lames 
 the horse. 
 
 The outside of the shoe is next to be 
 considered. It ought to be nearly flat, blit 
 failing away a little towards the inward edge, 
 as the horse will keep his feet the better for it, 
 having a more firm hold cf the ground than 
 when the shoe is too full in the middle ; parti- 
 cularly in the winter, when the frost renders it 
 so difBcuIt for any animal to stand that is shod 
 with iron. The shoes of all horses will be 
 the better for being thus formed, as they will 
 keep their feet better. The slioe ought to be 
 grooved for the nails, the groove at each side 
 approaching gradually, and terminating at a 
 small distance from the toe. In frosty wea- 
 ther it would be adviseable for the fore shoes to 
 be grooved round at the toe, and a frost or ice 
 nail adopted, which greatly assists the horse in 
 keeping his feet. The groove has two advan- 
 tages j in the first place it preserves the heads 
 cf the nails from breaking off, and keeps them 
 more firm in their place; and in the next, even 
 
I4t 
 
 after the heads are worn flat, the groove assists 
 the horse in holding the ground, and conse- 
 quently in keeping his feet. The only objec- 
 tion to the groove going all round is, that it 
 weakens the shoe, and makes it more liable to 
 bend, but this might be remedied by making 
 it narrower and thicker. In punching the 
 holes for the nails, two punches ought to be 
 used, the one rather thicker, and somewhat 
 blunt at the point. With this the holes are 
 punched nearly through. This part is per- 
 formed on the solid anvil. The other punch 
 has a finer point, and the shoe with the half 
 punched hole placed over a hole in the anvil, and 
 thus punched entirely through. This last opera- 
 tion forms the hole finer upwards, which con- 
 sequently fits the nail the better. The head 
 of the punch oug'ht to be inclined inwards to 
 the middle of the shoe, which gives the holes 
 a direction outwards, and will prevent pricking, 
 as it gives the nails a direction outward from, 
 the quick part of the foot. In punching the 
 holes of the shoe, the farrier ought particu- 
 larly to adhere to this method. The fore shoes 
 should not be longer than the foot, because 
 horses that clap or overreach will sometimes 
 
142 
 
 catch these, and tear the shoes off. This fre- 
 quently happens to those horses that are weak 
 in the pasterns, particularly when they become 
 tired, or travel on a heavy road, where the fore 
 feet stick, and they have not strength or sinew 
 enough to move them out of the way of the 
 hind ones. Indeed the shoes of both hind and 
 fore feet ought to be exactly the length of the 
 foot ; for making them longer answers no pur- 
 pose ; the superfluous weight only adds weight 
 to the horse's foot; and be it ever so small, will 
 draw out, or at least loosen the nails both be- 
 hind and before ; those behind, on account of 
 the additional weight; and those before, for the 
 following reason : when the horse puts his 
 hind foot forward, it alights first rather on the 
 heel •, the weight of the animal, therefore, on 
 the heel of a shoe that is too long, would strain 
 and loosen the nails at the toe. The turning 
 up of shoes too mxuch at the heel is improper 
 either for cavalry or saddle horses, because it 
 prevents them from straightening their knees, 
 which is as necessary in the motions of a good 
 horse as the bending of them. If cavalry 
 have occasion to move in frosty w^eather, it 
 becomes absolutely necessary ; but the turning 
 
M3 
 up ouglit to be very short; and if, instead of 
 being turned up whole, as is usually the case, 
 the extremities were divided like the claws of 
 a hammer, and each claw pointed, it would 
 keep the horses much more secure and steady. 
 The point of each claw ought to be consider- 
 ably sharpened, which would make them pene- 
 trate even into ice ; and if one point missed, the 
 animal would be sure to catch upon the other. 
 "When the shoe is turned up and not forked 
 (which I believe has never yet been practised) 
 the edge of the turn-up soon becomes smooth, 
 and the horse slides as much as he would do 
 without it. The heel, as well as the toe, on 
 such occasions ought to be made of steel, 
 which renders them more durable. The trou- 
 ble of making such shoes is rather greater than 
 making plain ones, but it is less expensive to 
 make good shoes than to purchase a good 
 horse ; for if he comes down in frosty wea- 
 ther, it is very probable that he will break 
 either his knees, or his bones, or disable him- 
 self in some way or other. When General 
 Suwarrow crossed the mountains of Sv/itzer- 
 land from Italy, in the depth of winter, he lost 
 most of his cavalry; and no doubt the loss was 
 
144 
 
 increased by the horses not having been pro- 
 perly prepared for the journey. 
 
 Every man of common observation must 
 perceive hovi^ difficult it is for a horse to keep 
 his feet in v^inter, particularly on an ascent or 
 descent, when they are plated with iron. 
 
 Horses used for the draught of the baggage 
 in an army, or for heavy artillery, ought always 
 to have their shoes turned up a good deal in 
 frosty weather, and forked in the m.anner be- 
 fore described •, but when there is no frost, the 
 common way will answer. It is always of use 
 to assist draught-horses in their pull, and the 
 turn up should be higher to the hind shoes 
 than to those before, as it lowers the shoulder, 
 and gives them a greater purchase. Observe 
 the feet of a draught horse at a dead pull up an 
 ascent, and you will find that he first strains 
 against the weight from his toes, stretching 
 the back sinews of the legs very forcibly, and 
 the heel comes gradually to the ground. If 
 the heel, therefore, has a high turn-up, it 
 meets the ground, and places the foot some- 
 what on a level ; but if there be no turn-up, 
 the heel is greatly lowered, and the horse's 
 weight falls backwards j and instead of gaining 
 
or preserving his ground, he loses both. Thus 
 we find that turning up is of such service to 
 the heels of draught horses, that it should never 
 be omitted. In those seasons of the year 
 when there is no frost, neither cavalry nor sad- 
 dle-horses, nor those used in light harness, re- 
 quire their shoe heels turned up; because 
 when a horse rests on his hoof he stands en- 
 tirely flat. Heels being turned up too high 
 prevent a horse from straightening his knees, 
 and throw the weight of the anim.al, as well as 
 of the man, forward, which will bring him 
 down. Therefore turning up the shoes of 
 saddle and cavalry horses is a business of neces- 
 sity to prevent a greater evil, and ought only 
 to be done when unavoidable. 
 
 Farriers' should, as much as possible, avoid 
 excess of drinking during the hours of busi- 
 ness, for the attitude of stooping assists the 
 powers of liquor, and consequently promotes 
 intoxication. To this succeeds a degree of 
 carelessness about the animal with which they 
 are entrusted; and serious injuries are fre- 
 quently the result of their inebriety. When 
 the foot of a horse is pricked in shoeing, 
 though no immediate inconvenience be per- 
 
 H 
 
14<5 
 
 ccived, the lapse of a day or two will exhibit 
 nn irritation in the part, even if the nail be 
 drawn at the instant the wound is given; and 
 the horse expresses his sufferings by kicking 
 violently, and holding up the affected foot ; 
 and so great is the ignorance of some men who 
 pretend to a knov/ledge of farriery, that it has 
 not unfrequently been known that they have 
 applied internal remedies for the consequences 
 of pricking. 
 
 The temporary lameness caused by accidents 
 of this sort is not allj the wound becomes in- 
 durated, and will remain there during the 
 horse's life ; for the foot and hoof is naturally 
 so hard that there is no possibility for the cor- 
 rupt matter to make its way completely out ; 
 and if a horse frequently meets with this mis- 
 fortune, it will eventually give him tender and 
 bad {tet. In shoeing a horse, the old nail holes 
 ought to be avoided as much as possible, as the 
 nails will not take such firm hold ; and it is 
 injurious to the feet to have the shoes fastened 
 in the same place. The nails ought to be ra- 
 ther thin than square, as square nails burst the 
 hoof. 
 
 In shoeing cavalry and saddle-horses the 
 
'47 
 
 shoes ought not to be made too heavy, for it is 
 
 astonishing how much a small weight will af- 
 fect their motions. The shoes must not, how- 
 ever, be made so thin or so light as to admit of 
 bending, lest the sole of the foot should be 
 injured by a bruize. They should be made 
 narrow and thick, rather than broad and thin; 
 for, as was before observed, the pressure of the 
 horse's weight is principally round the circum- 
 ference of tlie hoof. 
 
 That the hoof may not become too dry and 
 hard, and lose its elasticity, it will be necessary 
 *to wet the feet twice or thrice a day by riding 
 the horse into water as high as the knees, 
 which cools and moistens the feet and legs. If 
 he be watered out of a pail, each foot should 
 be taken up and dipped into it for a short time. 
 Water is the most natural moisture for the legs 
 and feet of a healthy horse *, the other neces- 
 sary moisture is afforded from the constitution 
 of the animal. A horse's hoofs, however, are 
 benefitted by being rubbed with an oily sponge 
 before he is rode. 
 
 If a horse becomes tender about the frog, or 
 the hinder part of the fooc, a bar-shoe is com- 
 monly applied, to protect those parts until they 
 
 H 2 
 
m8 
 
 recover their natural strength: in this cr.se, the 
 bar should be at a little distance from the heel, 
 as it is not used for the heel to press upon, but 
 merely to protect it from stones and gravel till 
 it be properly recovered. It may be observed, 
 that many capital horses have very long toes 
 and very low heels ; these generally bend 
 their knees well, have good action, seem to 
 feel no inconvenience, and put their feet for- 
 ward with good courage. To alter such feet 
 would be impossible, without injuring the ani- 
 mal. They must not be pared away at the toe, 
 nor too m-uch shortened, as this attempt to 
 give them handsome feet will bring them too 
 near the quick, and cause the horses soon to 
 become lame, and to founder in the feet ; the 
 superfluous parts only are to be removed, and 
 the shoe fitted as on the handsomest feet ; for 
 it is as impossible to give the feet of horses any 
 other than their natural form, as it is to give a 
 different form to the feet of men; the only 
 thing that can be done to relieve deformity is 
 to endeavour to preserve them as well as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 The speedy-cut, which is a very common 
 accident to those horses that are close made 
 
149 
 
 before, and whose feet turn inward, may be m 
 a great measure prevented, by firing away the 
 hoof so much as not to endanger the safety of 
 the foot, and rounding oiF the shoe consider- 
 ably at the inmost point of the toe-, for in 
 this case the least diminution would make a 
 great difference -, and it is remarkable that 
 horses thus formed do not cut much oftener, 
 from their lees approachinj?; so near to each 
 other at every motion. 
 
 As the advantage of practice is too evident 
 to require enforcing by argument, when facts 
 can be demonstrated at an easy rate, Ifc- is the 
 duty of those who undertake to instruct others, 
 to teach them practically. Farriers should 
 procure the feet of dead horses, fresh cut ofr, 
 and point out, by operations, to those they em- 
 ploy, the necessity of caution v/hile in the act 
 of shoeing •, for such is the susceptibility of the 
 foot, that the slightest v/ound is often attended 
 with the worst consequences. 
 
 To what has been said on the subject of 
 shoeing and horses* feet, a hint might be added 
 to those who keep grooms, to take care, at the 
 conclusion of a ride, that their horses are not 
 wantonly exercised -, for it not unfrequently 
 
J50 
 
 happens, that instead of being. taken to the sta- 
 ble immediately, they are submitted to the ac- 
 commodation of others, and are often rode 
 or driven about on the stones, to the great in- 
 jury of the animal, and injustice to the owner. 
 Four nails are enough on each side of any 
 middle-sized or small horse's shoe j more would 
 tear the hoof; but large and powerful draught 
 horses, whose shoes are heavy in proportion, 
 and v/hich have heavy work to perfonnj re- 
 quire five or six on each side. Horses that are 
 rode for pleasure ought to be shod lighter than 
 cavalry horses; and the shoes of the latter 
 should be lighter than those of coach horses ; 
 but horses for the draught of heavy artillery, 
 carts, or waggons, ought to be shodthe strong- 
 est and heaviest of all. Removing shoes too 
 often is injurious, as it tears avray the foot. 
 One remove is enough for a set of shoes, and 
 when the shoes are taken off, either to be re- 
 moved or replaced by new ones, the clenches 
 of the nails ought to be carefully undone by 
 cutting them, and not torn off in haste, leaving 
 them either to unfasten themselves, or to make 
 their way through the holes as they are. This 
 is too often the case, but it should never be 
 
suffered, as it is very pernicious to the hoof. 
 The French farriers'put shoes on in a different 
 manner to the farriers of this country; they 
 have a place for the horse's foot, in which they 
 fasten it, then standing before the foot, they 
 drive the nails in as if they were driving them 
 into a block. The English farrier takes the 
 horse's foot betv/een his knees, and by this 
 means he has more command over it ; he see3 
 the direction of the nail better in driving it^ 
 and the horse's foot assists in the entrance of 
 the nails by its re-action ; and if the animal 
 happens to be hurt, they perceive it the easier 
 by his suddenly shrinking on the nail approach- 
 ing too near the quick. It should seem, there- 
 fore, that the English method of shoeing i? 
 preferable to thai of the French, 
 
CHAP. XXXIX. 
 
 ON FEEDING AND EXERCISE. 
 
 OF ail the diiferent diets that have been 
 tried for horses, nothing is better than good 
 old hay, that has been cut properly ripe, and 
 well got in ; and old oats •, and nothing is more 
 congenial to their nature and constitutions, or 
 contributes more to their health, strength, and 
 vigour ; for though other sorts may be used, 
 either from necessity, or by way of medicinal 
 food, yet they never ought to be resorted to 
 but for such purposes. Split beans and peas 
 are also good food, but they are best suited for 
 carriage and hard labouring horses, having a 
 tendency to produce fatness, and thicken the 
 wind, and therefore should be given only in 
 moderate quantities. They are also good for 
 horses in low condition, in order to get them 
 fast into flesh. Bran, occasionally, is good, 
 r.nd may serve instead of physic. When a 
 
^53 
 
 horse comes in warm, In cold weather, a smaH 
 mash of bran, made moderately warm, is a 
 good thing for his stomach. This should be 
 given to him before he has his oats or water, 
 allowing him only as much at first as will cool 
 his mouth, and which cannot hurt him. After 
 he has had this a little while, has eaten a little 
 hay, and become cool by being well rubbed 
 down, a reasonable quantity of water may be 
 given, and afterwards his oats. Watering 
 horses in a pond or river is always preferable 
 to giving them pump or well water, for the 
 following reasons : — Well and pump water is 
 extremely cold and heavy ; because, being fil- 
 tered through a great depth of earth, the heavi- 
 est particles will always descend in endeavour- 
 ing to find their level. This water, drawn up 
 suddenly, strikes a deadly cold on the vitals of 
 the animal ; and being unmixed with air, (the 
 reverse being the case with pond or river water,) 
 it greatly affects the constitution of the horse. 
 If no other than pump or well water can con- 
 veniently be procured, it ought to be drawn up 
 or pumped into a trough some time before it 
 be used, and the air, by acting on it and mix- 
 ing with it, will soften it considerably. The. 
 
^54 
 
 difFerence betwixt pond or river, and pump or 
 well water, as to its hardness, may be easily- 
 known by washing the hands with either of 
 the latter, which will be found to be too hard 
 even with the assistance of soap. 
 
 To choose good hay you must examine it 
 not only by its fragrance, but observe also that 
 it be the long-jointed or knotty grass. Any 
 hay well got up, without rain, will look and 
 smell well, but the same quantity of the single 
 pointed grass, without joints, will not afford 
 half the nourishment as the jointed, knotty grass 
 above mentioned. The former, if you chew 
 the joints, will taste sweet, is full of agreeable 
 juice, and has grown on a rich and good soil ; 
 but the latter will afford no sap or juice, will 
 taste dry and harsh, and must have grown on a 
 poor, ill-managed soil. "When a horse "is 
 brought in from grass, he wants no physic or 
 purging, or at least very little, as it will be ob- 
 served that ail horses at grass are continually in 
 a relaxed state, if pastured on a good soil, and 
 their urine is of a greenish colour. When 
 horses are taken in from grass they should first 
 be fed on green, well got-up hay, because sud- 
 den alterations in their aliments are bad, and 
 
old hay may, if given at first, bind them too 
 soon. When fed on this and on bran maslies 
 for a few days, old hay and oats may be given 
 in proper quantities, and increased by degrees, 
 according to the work that they are intended to 
 perform. 
 
 Mangers ought always to be made of wood, 
 and not, as is frequently the case, of plaster or 
 brick ; and that part betwixt the manger and 
 the rack, and behind the rack, should be wains- 
 cotted, which would prevent sand or dust 
 from failing amongst the oats or hay. Great 
 care should be taken to examine oats, that there 
 be no gravel or small stones among them ♦, and 
 they should be well sifted. The teeth of 
 horses are frequently injured by such neglect j. 
 and whenever they receive any hurt of this 
 kind, they afterwards eat their food slowly, 
 and with great timidity. Horses are very dif- 
 ferent both in their powers and manner of eat- 
 ing: some have strong and others weak jaws j 
 some have good mouths, and others indifferent 
 ones ; some masticate slowly, others quickly y 
 one horse will eat a feed of oats in half the 
 time ariother requires, and yet the dung of 
 H S 
 
156 
 
 both will be found to contain some oats which 
 pass through in a perfect state. 
 
 All persons conversant with horses seem to 
 agree that oats would be better if bruised in a 
 mill. There is no doubt of their affording 
 more nourishment, but they would clog the 
 horse^s mouth ; and it is a question whether 
 .the exercise of grinding his own oats be not 
 beneficial to the animal, by strengthening his 
 teeth, gums, and jaw bones. Stones and gra- 
 vel are so unpleasant and injurious to a horse 
 that it may be observed when he feels one of 
 these in his mouth, he will drop the whole 
 mouthful at a distance from the rest, suspect- 
 ing that more remains in the feed. Those 
 who feed horses at picket, or with a bag slipped 
 over the head and on the nose, should care- 
 fully examine that there are no stones among 
 the oats, as the animal is deprived of the ad- 
 vantage of discharging it, as in a manger. 
 
 Regularity in meals is as essential to the health 
 of a horse as to that of a man. Feeding them, 
 at fixed hours preserves the tone of the sto- 
 mach, and prevents that relaxation which is so 
 injurious to the constitution j and it is a prac-- 
 tice which should never be neglected, if cmer.-. 
 
>57 
 
 gency do not render it impossible. If a horse 
 be costive, and he will eat them, raw potatoes 
 will purge him. Other vegetables, such as 
 carrots, vetches, green clover, and fresh cut 
 grass, are good purges for a horse, and will 
 keep him cool in the summer months. Horses 
 designed for ditterent kinds of work ought to 
 be exercised accordingly, in order to inure 
 them to what they are to perform. A race- 
 horse must be cantered and gaUoped slowly at 
 first, and brought on by degrees, until he is 
 put on his full speed. A hunter should be 
 accustomed to gallop cool and steady, and to 
 perform his leaps safe and wellj first by using 
 him to moderate ones, and gradually to increase 
 them till they are capable of surmounting those 
 obstacles to which they are liable in hunting. 
 Dragoon horses have a mode of exercise pecu- 
 liar to themselves. The best time to exercise 
 horses that do no work, is in the morning and 
 evening ; because, after long confinement in a 
 warm stable, they require fresh air and exercise 
 to brace their bodies, and to make them digest 
 their food •, and after having been well exer- 
 cised, they will feed and rest better the re- 
 mainder of the day. If a horse be exercised 
 
158 
 
 without clothesj he should be mounted quickly, 
 and rode off in good pace, to prevent him from 
 catching cold. On returning, his feet and 
 legs should be washed clean, and picked out, 
 which will keep the heels sound, and free 
 from thrushes and other sores. 
 
 Air and exercise are essential to the existence 
 of every animal on the face of the earth j and 
 none suffer more deplorably for the want of it 
 than horses. In a state of Inactivity, they are 
 as spiritless and unpleasant as they are the re- 
 verse when in exercise j besides which, they 
 are liable to the accumulation of numberless 
 disorders, such as colds in the limbs, swellings 
 of the feet and legs, loss of appetite, weak- 
 nesses, &c. when submitted to rigid confine- 
 ment. Those horses, therefore, which are 
 kept for the purposes of pleasure only, (and 
 it may be fairly presumed that those of every 
 other description have as great a share as is 
 necessary,) should have a proper portion of 
 daily exercise and air, if their value be pro- 
 perly appreciated. 
 
 In purchasing hay, never choose that which 
 lias a musty and disagreeable smell. It is an 
 iadication of its having been put up too soon, 
 
^59 
 
 that it heated J or that it became wet while it 
 was making. 
 
 The best oats are those that are old, provided 
 they were fully ripe, and that they have not 
 heated The rounder the body, and the thinner 
 the shell the better, as they contain the greater 
 nourishment. Black oats are always bad, for 
 they do not afFord so much nourishment, and 
 are masticated with difficulty, the shells or 
 husks being extremely thick. 
 
 All animals, after feeding, arc inclined to 
 sleep and rest. When aliment is received into 
 the stomach, the digestive powers are so much 
 employed, that every other, even those of the 
 mind, are incHned to repose, in order to give 
 digestion its full scope. This is so well known 
 in those countries that are infested with vora- 
 cious animals, that the natives ahvays prefer 
 attacking them after they have devoured their 
 prey, being perfectly aware that they will find 
 them in a state of indolence, if not asleep. 
 The horse after feeding yields to this impulse 
 of nature in as great a degree as otiier animals; 
 and if those who frequent stables will take 
 the trouble to observe, they will find almost 
 all horses slumbering after their meals. Froni 
 
i6o 
 
 this observation is to be inferred the necessity of 
 giving a horse at least an hour's rest, if pos- 
 sible, after feeding. This will be no loss of 
 time, as he will perform his work or his jour- 
 ney afterv/ards with much more ease, alacrity, 
 and spirit. If a horse be taken out of the 
 stable, and mounted immediately after having 
 finished his oats, either for the road or for ex- 
 ercise, he will not digest one half of his food, 
 but Vv'ill discharge it quite entire. These 
 minutiae may not be observed by every one, 
 yet they are not the less true. Too great at- 
 tention cannot be paid to whatever respects a 
 horse's feeding, since his health, strength, and 
 action depend upon it ; and it is essential that 
 every person should take care that their horses 
 are fed regularly, and that they are allowed a 
 reasonable time to digest their food^ 
 
i6i 
 
 CHAP. XL. 
 
 ON SADDLES, AND SADDLE-CL0TH5. 
 
 THE saddle being so necessary for the ease 
 of the rider, as well as for the comfort of the 
 horse, it will be proper to take notice of the 
 different forms which at various times they 
 have assumed ; and perhaps there is no article 
 in such general use that has received a greater 
 portion of refinement. Saddles were formerly 
 appendages of the most clumsy and unwieldy 
 nature ; and though it be true that they were in 
 some measure adapted to the size of the horses 
 then used for the purposes of pleasure, and for 
 cavalry, they were nevertheless much heavier 
 than occasion demanded. In these later times, 
 however, when smaller horses have been 
 thought adequate to lighter labours, the saddle 
 has also been proportionably diminished, and is 
 
l62 
 
 now brought to a perfection wliicli can scarcely 
 admit of further change. 
 
 Nothing contributes more to the comfort of 
 those who are in the habit of riding than a 
 saddle properly adapted to the shape of the 
 horse-, for, independently of the present pain 
 iniiicted by mis-shapen saddles, very serious 
 and lasting injuries are frequently sustained 
 both by the horse and the rider. It is an act 
 of absurditVj as well as cruelty, to put a narrow 
 saddle on the back of a broad horse j and not- 
 withstanding iriQ perfection at which the art of 
 saddle making is arrived, it may not be impro- 
 per to give the following hints to those who may 
 be unacquainted with what is generally con- 
 sidered the best and most easy shape. 
 
 The tree ought to be well fitted, so as only 
 to press on the bare back, near the points of 
 the shoulders, but the upper part should not 
 touch the back; and the tree must not be too 
 wide, otherwise the saddle will slide forv/ards 
 on the shoulders, especially if the horse has a 
 low forehand and be rode without a crupper. 
 After the tree is properly fitted, the pannels 
 must be carefully stuffed with hair, (which is 
 best J as it does not become matted,) toward the 
 
*I63 
 
 back, with a swell in the centre, and i'ajHnr^ 
 away again gradually toward the lower cd'^c. 
 The front of the pannels near the shoulders 
 should be thicker than the hinder parts, as it 
 prevents the weight from falling forward upon 
 the points ^of the "horse's shoulders, which 
 would greatly cramp his motions by preventing 
 the depression and rising again of the point 
 of the blade bone, wliich falls and rises every 
 step the animal takes. Some horses are so 
 strong and accive as not to regard pressure 
 on those parss-, but notwithstanding this, their 
 ease should be consulted as m.uch as possible* 
 Weak horses, and those that go close on the 
 ground, are much relieved by throwing the 
 weight off their shoulders, and giving them 
 free play. The tree of a saddle should be 
 very light, but sufficiently strong to support 
 the v/eight which it is intended to carry. Ca- 
 valry saddles ought to be considerably stronger 
 in the tree than those for pleasure, as the mili- 
 tary accoutrements of a dragoon add consider- 
 ably to his weight ; and having rougher service 
 to perform, they require a proportionate de- 
 gree of strength. 
 
 In the upper part the pommel ought not to 
 
i64 
 
 be too high, but the s:?.cld]e should swell regu- 
 inrly from the centre to the pommel. Saddles 
 are frequently too low, and fall away in the di- 
 rection alluded to, which causes the rider to 
 lean forward too much, and becom.es very un- 
 easy to himself as well as to the horse, as it 
 throws the weight on the horse's shoulders. 
 From the centre of the saddle backwards, the 
 aecent should be trifling, and merely sufEcient 
 to prevent the rider from losing his seat. On 
 such a saddle he will sit comfortably, and his 
 weight will not bear too much on his horse's 
 forehand, nor alter the position of the saddle. 
 Dragoon saddles have heretofore been made 
 heavier than was necessary to support the 
 weight they were intended to carry j for every 
 person that is conversant with horses must be 
 aware, that in a longmarchor ride the addition 
 of a few pounds will greatly oppress a horse. 
 In racing, a single pound will make a great 
 difference in determining a contest: if, there- 
 fore, so small a weight will affect a horse in 
 one of his paces, it must also affect him in 
 every other. A saddle too high behind is ex- 
 tremely uneasy both for the man and the horse. 
 It throws him forward perpetually, he rides- as 
 
165 
 
 if he were going down a Iiill, and presses with 
 all his weight on the horse's forehand. Sad- 
 dles too high before and behind have a bad 
 effect, as the hips and thighs of the rider are 
 buried between the fore and hind parts of 
 them. Hungarian saddles are thus made, and 
 are dangerous to the rider, should he be tlirown 
 on either extremity, which is so sharp that it 
 must produce, in such case, the most serious 
 consequences. 
 
 The stirrup-leathers ought to be strong, to 
 prevent their stretching or breaking, which is 
 frequently the case v/hen they are too slight. 
 The stirrup-irons should not be unnecessarily 
 heavy, as they only add to the weight on the 
 horse's back, which should be studiously 
 avoided, though the feet retain their place 
 better in heavy than in light ones. The patent 
 irons are too heavy; the same purpose will be 
 answered by having a spring under the flap or 
 skirt of the saddle, in the iron to which the 
 stirrup-leather is fastened. 
 
 When saddle-cloths are used, they ought to 
 be very small, extending only an inch and an 
 half beyond the saddle all round, and made of 
 cloth manufactured for the purpose. They are 
 
i66 
 
 of use in protecting the hcrse^s back, keeping 
 the saddle from sinking too close upon it, and 
 causing a degree of elasticity. Besides, sad- 
 dle-clotiis imbibe perspiration, and give the 
 saddle an easier seat, as well as a more elegant 
 appearance; they also keep tlie stuffing of the 
 paimels from becoming too hard : but they 
 should never be larger than as before described, 
 as thev create heat, chafe and swell the back, 
 and make it extremely tender. In the cool 
 months of Vv'inter, autumn, and spring, a small 
 saddle-cloth may be used with propriety ; but 
 in the summer, they should be dispensed with, 
 on account of heat. Coverings of Switzer- 
 land goat, panther, and Icopaui skins, and blue 
 cloth, which officers use for their chargers, 
 have a good appearance, but in v/arnr weather 
 they injure the horse, by keeping him too hot. 
 The French hussars cover their saddles with 
 sheep-skins with the wool on, and tliis, toge- 
 ther with the long manes and tails of the 
 horses, has a curious effi;ct, and must, of 
 course, be unpleasant to the rider, especially 
 in warm weather; and there is no apparent 
 reason for continuing such a practice, except 
 that the skins, from their magnitude, conceal 
 
i6y 
 
 the badness of their saddles. It is evident tlial 
 dragoon horses cannot be clothed too lightly ; 
 for the nature of their exercise is such as to 
 make them warm enough; witliout being loaded 
 with incumbrances. 
 
 The skirts cf the snddle should not be too 
 long, as they will also promote heat •, and every 
 thing which has a tendency to heat a horse, 
 and keep the air from hini; should be avoided. 
 The short skirts that cover the extremities of 
 the stirrups look best, when made round. By 
 some they are made square, and to run straight 
 to the shoulder; and by cutting them in this way 
 conceive they Vv'ill not turn up, nor catch the 
 knees like round ones: but it gives to the saddle 
 an ugly and heavy appearance. The smaller 
 the saddle, provided there be room enough for 
 the rider, the better effect does it produce, as 
 it shews the fiojure of the rider, is lighter on 
 the horse's back, and admits more air to his 
 body. 
 
 Cruppers, as v/as before observed, do not 
 look well on pleasure horses, but in cavalry 
 they are indispensable. Horses that have a 
 very lov/ forehand require them to keep the 
 saddle off the shoulders; but as the crupper 
 
i6a 
 
 bears very heavy on the under part of the tail 
 of such horses, they are generally much galled: 
 to prevent which, when a crupper becomes 
 hard, it must be opened, and a piece of candle 
 put into it, and sewed close up again. When 
 the crupper grows warm, the grease will pene- 
 trate the leather, and keep the cruppers soft, 
 and moisten the skin under the tail. 
 
 Springs might be easily applied to the girths, 
 stirrups, and crupper, which would keep the 
 saddle better in its place, and be more plea- 
 sant both for tlie liorse and the rider. 
 
t6g 
 
 CHAP. XLI. 
 
 ON STABLES AND CLOTHING. 
 
 AS good houses are necessary for the con- 
 venience and comfort of man, so is good 
 stabling for horses. The best situation for 
 stables is that which is dry and airy, or on a 
 level, and not on a damp and low ground, as 
 dampness will affect them materially. Stables 
 should have lofty ceilings, which prevent the 
 air from becoming foul and too hot, which it 
 would do if the ceilings were low. A few 
 small apertures should be made at the bottom, 
 to admit fresh air, and some also as high as the 
 ceiling, to give vent to the foul air at top, 
 which becoming rarified, and consequently 
 lighter, ascends to the ceiling ; and the fresh 
 air at bottom forcing itself in, will expel the 
 other. This is better than ventilators, as they 
 fill and empty stables too hastily, by which 
 means horses take cold. If the weather be 
 
170 
 
 cold, the apertures at bottom may be partially 
 shut. Stables ought neither to be kept too 
 close nor too warm, which will eventually 
 be the case where a great many horses 
 stand together. Heat relaxes the stomach of a 
 horse, and consequently hurts his digestion. 
 Keeping horses in clothes that are too hot has 
 the same effect, and makes them tender, and 
 liable to catch cold. Horses at grass scarcely 
 ever catch cold, even in the most rigorous sea- 
 son. It must be allowed, however, that after 
 a horse has come off' a journey, and is warm, 
 a cloth ought to be thrown over him until his 
 coat is dry. It is an artificial heat, and there- 
 fore requires an artificial remedy 5 but as soon 
 as the horse's skin is dry, let the cloth be re- 
 moved, let him be well rubbed down, and left 
 so. This will be better for his health, appetite, 
 and digestion, than wrapping him in warm 
 clothing. The stall should be sufficiently 
 Toomy to allow a horse to lie down, and to rise 
 and turn himself with ease ; for he does this 
 with such suddenness, that he frequently hurts 
 himself against the sides when the stalls are 
 too narrow. Stables are generally paved with 
 very small round stones, or pebbles, which is 
 
an absurd practice. The principal reason for 
 using such pavement is, that the urine may- 
 escape between the pebbles, and keep the horse 
 dry. This effect might be produced when the 
 stalls are not level, but many reasons may be 
 urged against this practice. A horse stands 
 very uneasy and unsteady on such floors, his 
 feet only touching at a few points, which con- 
 sequently bear the weight and pressure of the 
 whole body, and in lying down he is liable to 
 bruise his knees, which causes a stiffness, and 
 is detrimental to him. in bending his joints, and 
 contributes in some measure to bring him 
 down. The rest procured on floors of this 
 kind is by no means, at times, such as the ani- 
 mal requires, for it frequently happens that in 
 lying down he removes the litter, and instead of 
 repose he receives considerable injury. The 
 bed of the stall ought to be made on a very 
 slight ascent ; for the more level it is, when he 
 lies down the more equal is the pressure on all 
 parts of his body, and consequently he enjoys 
 the greater rest. When stalls are too higli 
 before, the weight is tlirown on the hind legs, 
 which produces swelled heels. 
 
 For the reasons above stated, the stalls of a 
 
 I 2 
 
172 
 
 stable should be paved with large slabs, a very 
 little higher at each side than in the middle ; 
 and as nearly as possible to the spot where the 
 horse stales there should be placed a square 
 stone, made rather hollow in the middle, with 
 four or five small holes leading to a sewer be- 
 neath, which would more effectually carry off 
 the urine than any other sort of drain. There 
 is another great advantage that would result 
 from a contrivance of this kind, which is, that 
 the hind legs of horses would never be im- 
 mersed in their own urine, which soaks through 
 the litter, and mixes with the dungj and by 
 remaining upon their heels all night, causes 
 most of the disorders to which the heels of 
 horses are subject. Stalls of this kind are not 
 more expensive in the construction than any- 
 other, as the whole may be paved with bricks, 
 or any flat stone. Nothing extraordinary is 
 required but the centre stone v/ith holes, to 
 convey the water into the sewer beneath. The 
 Swedes floor their stables with strong, coarse 
 planks of wood, and at certain intervals the 
 centre planks, which are depressed a little, and 
 on the descent, are cut through longitudinally, 
 by which means the urine runs into receivers, 
 
«73 
 
 to which the stable-helpers have access for the 
 purpose of cleaning them. Horses lie more 
 dry and comfortable on this flooring than on 
 stone or brick, which is considerably colder. It 
 is as cheap as pavement, and half the litter is 
 not required as on stone floors. Horses are 
 frequently inclined to stretch themselves out, 
 and lie on their sides when they are much 
 fatigued ; the reason of this is, that the po- 
 sition relieves every part of the body from 
 unequal pressure. 
 
 It is the duty of those who receive either 
 pleasure or profit from the labours of a horse, 
 to make an ample return for his services ', and 
 as that return must necessarily consist of at- 
 tention, care, and good treatment, it should be 
 the primary object of their owners, not merely 
 to feed them, but to bestow upon them every 
 kind of indulgence which the arrangement of 
 the Stable can afford: audit is proper again to 
 observe, that there is nothing more essential 
 to the well-doing of a horse than cleanUness 
 and roomy stalls. 
 
 The flooring of the hay loft should be as 
 close as possible, and opposite each rack there 
 should be a small trap door, through which the 
 ^3 
 
174 
 
 hay is received into the rack. This should 
 shut down so close as not to a^low the breath 
 of the horses, and heat of the stables to pass, 
 as It will destroy the flavour of the hay. The 
 trap-door through v/hich the stable-helpers and 
 grooms ascend should also shut down close, for 
 the same reason. The best plan is, to make 
 the hay-loft door at the side of the stables. 
 
 To what has been advance on the subject of 
 stables we may add, that the doors should be 
 kept open as much as possible in fine weather. 
 
^75 
 
 CHAP. XLII. 
 
 ON BREAKING CAVALRY, SADDLE-HORSES, AND 
 HORSES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. 
 
 THIS is a business to vrliich professed 
 grooms are fully competent, but it is rather 
 the occupation of those who are called horse- 
 breakers J and it is an employment of some 
 importance with respect to the horses above 
 SYientionea, us liorii siiCxi m£u tiicy receive 
 their earliest tuition ; and great care should be 
 taken not to instruct them improperly at first, 
 as they will most likely retain their bad habits 
 during their lives. The first lesson a colt re- 
 ceives, after he has been tied to the rack in a 
 collar, and is accustomed to be spoken to and 
 handled, is to be led backward and forward to 
 his stable to be v/atered. This habituates him 
 to the voice and presence of men, and removes 
 his shyness, and accustoms him to the pace of 
 the person who leads him. 
 14 
 
176 
 
 Those persons who have the management 
 of colts should frequently take up their feet, 
 and beat them gently round the edges with a 
 sm^ll v/ooden hammer, which will prepare 
 them, in some measure, for being shod *, and 
 when that operation is performied they will 
 stand more quietly. Young horses are fre- 
 quently so alarmed at the process of shoeing, 
 that it cannot be done without the trouble of 
 throwing them y or if it be effected without 
 this, it is v/ith great difficulty j and from the 
 sudden struggles of the horse to pull his feet 
 away, he is often pricked, which not only 
 frightens him, but injures the foot. 
 
 When it is intended to break in a horse, a 
 cavison is first put on his head. It is made 
 like a collar, with a strong piece of iron out- 
 side the leather strap that goes round the muz- 
 zle, and in it are fixed three iron rings, one in 
 front, for the longe, and one at each side for 
 the side-straps. No side-straps are used at 
 first, but the longe only, v/hich is a long cord, 
 tied, or, for the convenience of easily undoing 
 it, buckled into the ring in front. With this 
 and a snaffle, knotted and laid loose over the 
 neck, he receives his first lessons on the circle 
 
 i 
 
177 
 or ring. A second person is very tiecessary 
 with a whip, to correct his stubbornness. 
 After he has been exercised in this way till he 
 goes freely, a roller is put on his back, with a 
 hook in the centre to fasten the snaffle reins, 
 having a ring en each side to which to fix the 
 side-straps, one of which is only fastened at 
 a time, namely, the strap towards the centre 
 of the circle on which he is exercised ; but 
 should he be inclined to keep his head too much 
 that way, the other must be fastened also, in 
 order to keep it straight. As soon as he 
 moves with freedom in all his paces, another 
 apparatus is to be fixed on his back. First the 
 manege saddle, with or without fastening the 
 side-strap, as the horse requires it; and, in- 
 stead of fixing the side-straps of the cavison 
 to the saddle, as was formerly the custom, a 
 strong cross of wood is used, with eight 
 buckles, two above and two below on each 
 side •, four of the buckles with straps for the 
 side reins, which are at one end^ and fastened 
 to the rings of the snaffle bit, are fixed at the 
 four extremities of the cross, and the other 
 four near the centre, with straps and buckles 
 IS 
 
'78 
 
 also, one above and one below on each side,. 
 The angle of the cross, which rests on the 
 saddle near the front part, is strengthened with 
 a piece of wood fitted into the angle, and made 
 hollow ; and this cross is confined tight with a 
 strap or girth fastened to the ends of the twa 
 lower arms of the cross ; and, to prevent the 
 cross from moving out of its place, there is a 
 strap and buckle near the centre behind, v/hich 
 may be fastened to the crupper-ring. Beside 
 this, diere is also a swivel spring rising from 
 the centre in front, on which to place the 
 snaffle or bit reins of a horse that is light with 
 his mouth and forehand. This acts very free 
 and easy, and does not press much or bear 
 hard on his mouth, but plays the bit up and 
 down gently. 
 
 For horses that are hard mouthed and heavy 
 before, there is another cross in every respect 
 like the one already mentioned, except 
 that the spring in the front is flat, and toler- 
 ably strong, inclining forward, with a curve 
 toward the top •, and inside of the extreme 
 point is a small semi-circular hook, on which 
 the snaffle reins are attached, to any required 
 length. This apparatus is preferable to fasten- 
 
179 
 
 ing the side-straps of the cavison to any other 
 pad or saddle, because the horse's head can be 
 raised to any height, if he be inclined to keep 
 his head low, and bear on his mouth and fore- 
 hand too much. If he carry his head too high, 
 it can be lowered without a martingal. Those 
 who break horses are much divided in opinion 
 whether it be better to break them in a riding- 
 house or in the open fields. It is certain that 
 in a riding-house a horse pays more attention 
 to his lessons, because he is not distracted with 
 objects that are likely to take his attention 
 from what he is doing ; so that the first lessons, 
 might be given with more effect within doors- 
 than without. Many riding-houses, however,, 
 have not a convenience of this sort, and re- 
 course is obliged to be had to a field ring ; and 
 if the v/eather be fine, it is pleasanter and 
 cooler both for the horse and the breaker. 
 The place, however, would be better adapted if 
 it had been used before j for when a horse is 
 lead a few times round, it gives him some 
 notion of what he is to perform. At ni^st the 
 ring should be large, as the motions of the 
 horse will not be supple or free enough to 
 work on a smaU one , but the ring should be 
 16 
 
i8o 
 
 lessened gradually, until it be very contracted. 
 As soon as he has been accustomed to go 
 freely on a larger one, only the inside rein of 
 the cavison should be fastened, and the 
 breaker should teach the horse always to lead 
 "with the foot within the turn, otherwise, as 
 was before observed, he will cross his legs, 
 and be in danger of coming down. This should 
 invariably be observed in moving on circles, 
 either when the horse is in hand or mounted, 
 and it is best always to make him lead with 
 the ofF leg. 
 
 In breaking a young horse, the lessons should 
 never be too long, for the animal will become 
 disgusted and tired, and if he be of a 
 spirited nature, will contract viciousness and 
 restive habits •, and if of a contrary temper, 
 will grow dull and be disheartened ; the les- 
 sons, therefore, should be short *, and as soon 
 as he is taught to perform what is required, 
 the person who breaks him should stop and 
 caress him. In the King's riding-^houses the 
 horses are accustomed to the sight of drums 
 and colours, and are initiated into military 
 habits as soon as they are broke j and the same 
 methods are used which were described and 
 
1^1 
 
 recommended in a former part of this work. 
 If horses are broke in the open fields, it wiil 
 be proper to fire off pistols frequently near 
 them ; for being a sudden noise, it accustoms 
 them to be steady to all sounds. The paces 
 that cavalry and saddle horses are usually 
 taught at first are the natural paces, viz. the 
 plain walk, trot and gallop in hand, and then 
 mounted. The seven artificial paces, which 
 may be taught afterwards, are mentioned in 
 another part of this book. 
 
 Chargers, and horses used for pleasure, 
 should, after they are mounted, be taught to 
 passage freely both to the right and left; and 
 for this purpose, they must be exercised on 
 the passage both with the croupe and the head 
 alternately to the wall, in a riding-house; but 
 if none be convenient, it should be practised 
 along any wall or paliisadoe, and afterwards 
 in the open field. If a horse is to be exercised 
 on the passage to the left, his head must be 
 kept well in, and must be pressed with the 
 right leg. If he does not obey this pressure, 
 he must be touched gently with the spur, but 
 never be hurried, for it is a pace that requires 
 slowness. It is performed by crossing the legs 
 
I?2 
 
 one over the other, and is consequently diffi- 
 cult. In passaging to the left, a horse should 
 stand with his right fore foot before the left, 
 and his right hind foot before the left or off 
 foot, and always begin the passage with the 
 right, when he moves to the left, and with the 
 left when he passages to the right ; and in the 
 same manner he must be taught to passage to 
 the right by pressing him with the left leg, &c. 
 These two motions are very necessary for all 
 dragoon horses, in opening and closing their 
 ranks either to the right or left. Reining back 
 also is necessary for horses of the same de- 
 scription, which is to be taught partly on foot, 
 by pressing his head, and forcing him back- 
 wards at first. Make him do the same when 
 mounted, by pulling the snaffle tight. If he 
 do not obey, press him backwards with the bit 
 orbadoon; and if he be still obstinate, some 
 person at his head may assist in compelling 
 him : but he must never be touched v/ith the 
 spur, as he will then bolt forward, or throw 
 himself too much on his haunches. 
 
 If it be wished to teach a horse all the arti- 
 ficial motions, some of them should be first 
 taught him on circles of a large diametre, and 
 
»8? 
 some of tKem on a right line. A horse that is 
 broke for hunting ought to be instructed in all 
 of them, as it supples him properly for all 
 kinds of leaps. 
 
 When a horse is first backed, it must be done 
 deliberately, by rising several times In the 
 stirrup, on the left leg, and descending again. 
 The rider is then to seat himself firmly on the 
 saddle ; but in the mean time another person 
 should hold the horse's head, to prevent his 
 starting, and should continue to lead him dur- 
 ing his first lessons. The rider should not re- 
 main too long on his back, as it will tend to 
 make it hollow, will bend his pasterns too 
 much, sink his soles, and tire, dispirit, and 
 disgust him. 
 
i84 
 
 CHAP. XLIII. 
 
 TO KNOW THE AGE OF A HORSE BY HIS 
 TEETHj AND SOME GENERAL DIRECTIONS 
 TO ASCERTAIN HIS AGE AFTER HE HAS 
 LOST THE MARK OF MOUTH. 
 
 EVERY one who buys a horse should be 
 acquainted with the means of ascertaining his 
 age with some degree of accuracy, to prevent 
 being imposed upon. The teeth, therefore, 
 are the only sure guides, till a horse loses the 
 the mark of mouth, that is, when he is past 
 eight years; yet sometimes the mark of mouth 
 of the eighth year, which is the last that dis- 
 appears, will remain, though but faintly, until . 
 he be ten or eleven years old, which will de- 
 ceive the generality of people. The first teeth 
 that make their appearance in the mouth are 
 the foal-teeth, two above and two below, in the 
 front and centre of the upper and under jaws, 
 
i8j 
 
 nnd are very white, on account of the friction 
 they receive from the stronger part of the lips. 
 Other teeth appear, at different times, until 
 there are six above and six below. At tlie age 
 of from two years to two and a half, or some- 
 times three years, the four that first came out 
 are cast; in the place of these spring up four 
 others, much stronger and larger, which, as it 
 is with these the horse cuts his grass, and helps 
 himself to food, are called nippers or gatherers. 
 Some people denominate them the middle 
 teeth, from being in the centre. From three 
 and a half to four years old, two others are 
 shed, viz. one on each side of the two nippers 
 above and below; and in their stead spring up 
 four others, which are called separaters, from 
 their being placed between the nippers and 
 corner teeth. There remain now only the four 
 last foal teeth, which are the corner ones. At 
 four and a half he casts these also; but gene- 
 rally before they appear the tusks begin to 
 spring up, and at first are very small. The 
 corner teeth in the upper shew themselves be- 
 fore the corner ones in the under jaw ; and, on 
 the contrary, the under tusks appear fi^rst. The 
 corner teeth appear quite out of the gums 
 
i8^ 
 
 ■when the animal is near five years old, with it 
 fleshy substance adhering to the middle, simi- 
 lar to that which adheres to the inside of an 
 oyster-shell. These corner teeth are short at 
 first, and do not meet or stand even with the 
 others; but as the horse advances to six years 
 old, they gradually lengthen, until they meet, 
 the fleshy part in the centre wears away, and 
 at six years old the centre is even with the o l- 
 side, and in the middle appears a small black 
 speck, like the eye of a ripe bean. His tusks, 
 will now be at their full length. At seven, 
 tfl^ colour of the •S'^cck bcconies rnore faint, 
 and of a light brown, and the tooth more flat, 
 
 mark disappears in the generality of horses, 
 particularly if they have not been much at 
 grass, as the dry, hard feeding of the stable 
 requires more grinding than grass •, and though 
 the horse only collects his food with them, yet 
 they pass more frequently over each other in 
 chewing hard than soft food, and consequently 
 polish and wear each other the more. In some 
 horses this mark may remain till nine or ten 
 years old, though it be very faint, and it is a 
 
187 
 
 sign that the mouth Is good and the teeth 
 strong ; so tliat if their action be good, they 
 are, at this age, as valuable as a horse of seven 
 or eight years old. 
 
CHAP. XLIV. 
 
 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON HORSES THAT 
 ARE AGED, OR PAST THE MARK OF MOUTH. 
 
 THE teeth of horses, like those of the hu- 
 man species, become rusty and yellowish in 
 the course of time : a certain quantity of tartar 
 adheres to them, and gives them this appear- 
 ance. The older a horse grows, the harder 
 and more shrunk up are his gums, which gives 
 the teeth a long and naked appearance. If 
 any black speck rem.ain after eight years old, it 
 will, as we before observed, be very faint, much 
 polished, and not hollow, as in young horses, 
 but flat all over. In feeling the tusks in the 
 upper jaw, if they are found to be worn even 
 with the palate, the horse is old. In a young 
 horse, the inside of the tusks are hollow, or 
 channelled a little inside; but in old horses, 
 they are filled up, and become round. If the 
 
189 
 
 tusks be large, yellow, blunt, and round, it is 
 an indication of age. In young horses, they 
 are smaller, cleaner, sharper, and whiter. A 
 young horse's fore teeth stand close together at 
 the edges above and below, but those of an old 
 one do not: the upper ones project, and are 
 long, foul, and yellow. If an aged horse have 
 white teeth, it is not uncommon to give him a 
 false mark, by burning the centre of the cor- 
 ner teeth with a small pointed iron, and by 
 putting oil of tartar into it, wliich blackens it, 
 so as to give it a natural appearance; but good 
 judges will easily detect it. The artificial 
 mark will be of a much deeper black than the 
 natural one. The eye of an old horse sinks 
 inwardly, looks dead, and is very hollow above 
 the eye. The under jaw-bone of an aged 
 horse, rather above the under lip, is sharp at 
 the edges *, that of a young horse is round ; 
 which is to be attributed to the flesh of the lat- 
 ter being more firm than that of an old one. 
 If some grey hairs appear on the eye-brows of 
 dark coloured horses, they denote age. The 
 ridges or bars in the middle of the mouth of 
 an old horse appear dry and lean-, but in a 
 young one they are high and plump. The 
 
belly of an old horse generally falls in, and 
 assumes the shape of a cow's ; and at the same 
 time he becomes hollow about the kidneys. 
 
 However good their condition, the anus of an 
 old horse shrinks considerably -, which is occa- 
 sioned by the falling in of his belly. The yard 
 of a young horse, as well as tlie sheath, is very 
 small, but that of an old horse is the reverse. 
 
 If a horse carries his age well, has a firm 
 mouth, bends his knee properly, has never 
 been down, and has good action, a year or 
 two in his age makes but little difference; for 
 a good horse is better at ten years of age than 
 one that is naturally bad at seven. With care, 
 some horses will be serviceable till they are 
 seventeen or eighteen years old. 
 
 To the external signs above mentioned may 
 be added the dryness and roughness of his 
 hair. The hair of a young horse, if he be in 
 good condition, will always be sleek, because 
 the v/armth of youth, and the abundance of 
 animal juices, afford it sufficient nourishment; 
 but the hair of old horses is rough, for the 
 want of those juices. 
 
 The upper teeth of aged horses almost al* 
 ways project over the under ones j the reason 
 
of which is, that in chewing, the under jaw 
 only moves ; which, being placed as far out- 
 wards as possible, and moved inwardly again, 
 the pressure increases till the teeth are close ; 
 and the jaw being then moved crosswise, the 
 force gradually lessens, till the jaw is extended 
 as far as it can go; the friction, therefore, is 
 least powerful at eace side ; and the motion of 
 the jaw beginning from the outward edge, and 
 inoving obliquely inward, the outward edge of 
 the fore teeth suffers but little. The pressure 
 being chiefly on the inward edge, the teeth of 
 the upper jaw are much worn *, but in tlior.e of 
 the under, the outward edge sutfers rn^st, 
 while the inward edge remains sharp and un- 
 touched. With respect to the grinders, the 
 outw^ard edge of the under teeth and the in- 
 ward edge of the upper, are chiefly used, and 
 consequently are most worn. The counte- 
 nance of an old horse also looks heavy, as was 
 before observed, and they become hollow 
 above the eyes-, but this will frequently be the 
 case with young horses that are produced from 
 Old stallionfe. 
 
192 
 
 CHAP. XLV. 
 
 ON CHOOSING HORSES AND MARES EOR 
 BREEDING. 
 
 YOUNG mares and stallions are, for palpa- 
 ble reasons, to be preferred for breeding from. 
 A mare m.ay be taken to the horse at three 
 years old, but the stallion ought to be five or 
 six : at four he may have a few mares, but too 
 many will weaken and spoil him. Foals 
 produced from a young mare and a young stal- 
 lion are supposed to possess more fire and spi- 
 rit than those from aged mares and stallions. 
 A good mare, however, will produce as fi.nc 
 foals at eight, nine, ten, and even at fourteen, 
 as at an earlier period of her life. The best 
 age for a stallion is from six to eight. He may 
 answer the purpose even till twelve or four- 
 teen jp but after this period his services may be 
 
^9i 
 
 dispensed with. Either the mare or the staHioii 
 ought to be young ; for if both be old, the 
 produce will not be good. Those who breed 
 horses, and who wish to have a good produce, 
 must be careful in choosing well-shaped, 
 spirited mares, as well as good stallions. 
 
 Race-horses are very properly bred from 
 those that are most celebrated, and the same 
 rule should be observed in breeding hunters 
 and hackneys j for if the mare, or the stallion, 
 or both, be ill-shaped and spiritless, their off- 
 spring will be the same. The stallion should 
 be handsome in all his shapes, have a small 
 head, bend his knees well, and shew a great 
 deal of spirit, blood, and action. A mare 
 tliat either cuts or brushes, goes close on the 
 ground, or that has come down, should never 
 be selected for breeding, for her foals will in- 
 herit her bad qualities. She ought in every 
 respect to correspond with the horse above re- 
 commended. 
 
 Lowness of condition in a mare that it is 
 intended to breed from, is not very material; 
 but if she be too fat, she will not keep the 
 horse. It has been conjectured that the breed 
 will be the better for the mare having a foal 
 
194 
 
 every second year only ; but this chiefly de- 
 pends on her being well fed, raid on the good- 
 ness of the pasture. 
 
 To make a mare keep the horse, if she do 
 not prove with foal, she must be reduced in 
 flesh, and fed sparingly for some time before 
 she is covered ; for those that miss are generally 
 such as are too fat. If, hov/ever, after they 
 are reduced in flesh they still continue barren, 
 let them be rode into a pond immediately after 
 copulation, or let some v/ater be throvv^i on 
 their hind quarters and back, which will some- 
 times cause the fattest mares to keep the 
 horse. 
 
 Breeding from stallions not related to the 
 mares is allowed to be best. Crossin<T the 
 breed of the generality of animals produces a 
 better ofl^spring, there being too great a simi- 
 larity of constitution and habit of body in 
 those which are too nearly related. Their 
 union is more frigid and languid, and is not 
 performed with equal fire and spirit as between 
 those which are distantly related, or not re- 
 lated at all, or from another country. In 
 England, changing even from North to South 
 would be of service. It is the same with all 
 
^9S 
 
 grains, vegetables, and plants ; they flourisli 
 better by transplanting the seed to a different 
 soil. 
 
 I\Iares retain the foal eleven months and a 
 few days, more or less, according to their age ; 
 they therefore should have the horse some time 
 in the m.onth of May, or early in June; as the 
 season in v/hich she vv^ill foal will better agree 
 with the tender age of her offspring. She will 
 have plenty of milk, and the foal, which is 
 naturally short necked, will more easily reach 
 the tops of the grass, which he begins to eat at 
 six weeks or tv/o months old, and which con- 
 tributes much to its health and vigour. 
 
 After foals are weaned, which some assert 
 should be at the beginning of winter, and 
 others, with more reason, not till the foiiovv-ing 
 spring, they should have fresh hay and a little 
 sheaf corn mixed well together, to prevent their 
 cropping the heads only, and thus obliging 
 them to eat the straw at the same time. This 
 is much better than threshed oats. When the 
 grass is become sufEciently nourishing, no other 
 food will be necessary, unless the pasture be 
 bare •, which ought not to be the case, as it 
 keeps them too long on their legs, causes their 
 K 2 
 
feet and soles to grow flat, their heads large, 
 and their pasterns to bend too much ; and as 
 they have not sufficient time to rest, the pres- 
 sure injures their shape in every respect. 
 
 If the coats of either young or old horses 
 are kept dry, they never catch cold. They 
 have a natural aversion to wet weather, v/hich 
 is very injurious to them. Horses that never 
 have been broke should have sheds in their 
 pasture grounds, with a rack, and some hay to 
 eat occasionally, and to which they may retire 
 from the rain. They are preferable to stables, 
 but they should be kept clean and dry. 
 
 Foals should never be tied, or confined 
 about the head or neck, until they are two years 
 old at least, at which time they ought to be 
 put in collars, and fastened in stalls like other 
 horses. When they have completed three 
 years, the process of breaking them may be 
 commenced : but when they are backed, the 
 rider ought not to be heavy, for the weight, as 
 we have already noticed, will make their backs 
 hollow, cause Iheir pasterns to bend, and their 
 soles to become fiat. ,. 
 
 In cold climates, the mystery of breeding 
 horses consists in the choice of mares and 
 
197 
 
 st.iliions, in keeping them dry and well fed in' 
 winter, and giving them good pasture in sum- 
 mer. Horses delight most and thrive bsst in" 
 extensive campaign countries, where they have 
 a wide range, plenty of grass, and a good soil, 
 such as in Poland, the northerii parts of Tartary, 
 Persia, S<c. Hot climates are better suited for 
 horses than those that are too cold. In Nor- 
 way almost all the horses are diminutive, and 
 most of them of a dun or dirty grey colour. 
 The badness of the colour, as v/ell as the size, 
 shew the degeneracy of the race •, but in the 
 latter respect they are suited to the soil of the 
 country. 
 
 It is of great consequence that foals should 
 have plenty of room to exercise. Their pro- 
 pensity to playfulness should be encouraged by 
 every possible means ; and noticing contributes 
 more to bring them to perfection than allow- 
 ing them an unrestrained licence in the field, 
 where thvir amusements are as salutary as their 
 actions are pleasing. 
 
 . Geldings may grnze among brood mares 
 with the greatest safety •, they will do no mis- 
 chief to the fo?'s by kicking or biili:g them ; 
 but, on the contrary, they are very fond of- 
 
 \ 
 
.9«. 
 
 t'lem. Stallions also are remarkably fond of 
 their young, which she'vvs the generosity of 
 tlieir nature. Dogs diH^er from .almost every 
 other animal in this respect^ haying an uncon- 
 querable dislike for their offspring. 
 
 Blood, among horses, is nothing more than a 
 superior degree of spirit and action, which is 
 preserved and improved by paying particular 
 attention to the breeding of foais from the finest 
 and most spirited mares and stallions. Among 
 the large horses of the Flanders breed there are 
 many that have very light and handsome heads ; 
 and the more the English draught-horses are 
 mixed with this breed, the better. The com- 
 mon horsesj whose breed has not been crossed, 
 are ugly and ill shaped, especially ab-^ut the 
 head and neck. Among the Ham.pshire, the 
 Yv^elsh, and the Scotch ponies, there are many 
 that shevv^ much blood, spirit, and action. 
 The Irish horses are very hardy, and are good 
 ieapcrs. They are not so delicate as the Eng- 
 lish, but are of a proper size, and well adapted 
 for the light dragoons. Their hardiness is 
 chiefly owing to the manner of their being 
 bred. The pasture behig generally plentiful, 
 even pu the raountains they are turned Qut j 
 
^99 
 
 nriU unless the winters be very severe, they are 
 never taken in till they are three or four years 
 Old, when they are about to be broke In. This 
 renders them fit for the cavalryj for having been 
 rerired in this manner, and not accustomed to 
 being pampered in their youth, they are better 
 able to bear hardships. English horses arc 
 paid more attention to, when young ; and being 
 treated delicately, they ever after require tlie 
 same care \ otherv/ise they fall away, and are 
 unable to perform their work. 
 
 K 4 
 
200 
 
 CHAP. XLVI. 
 
 ON RIDING 
 
 THE military mount their horses in the fol- 
 lowing manner: — ^The dragoon stands square 
 at his horse's shoulder, with his right side to 
 the horse, -and facing to the front, holding the 
 snafHe, or badoon rein, tight in his right hand, 
 as near the check as possible. At the words 
 ** Prepare to mount," he faces to the right, 
 turning on his left heel_, and stepping about 
 three parts of a pace out with his right foot, 
 opposite the girth, and about four inches in 
 the rear of the left, so as not to move it when 
 the left is put into the stirrup. He then takes 
 the badoon rein in the middle, where it lies on 
 the witliers, by putting the four fingers under 
 it, ;md raising the points a little. The rein 
 tlien falls down towards the thumb, across the 
 hand ; at the same time taking the joining or 
 nut of the bit-rein between the fore finger, and 
 
201 
 
 thumb of the right hand, the little finger of 
 the left hand dividing the bit-rein. At the 
 word or motion he draws the bit rein up, so 
 as to feel the horse's mouth gently, tlie right 
 hand above the left. At the next word or 
 motion he throws the doubled bit-rein to the off 
 side of the/ withers, extending the right arm 
 as far as he can reach. At the next word, he 
 advances the bridle hand a little way along the 
 mane, towards the ears, bringing the right to 
 the withers, taking hold of the mane, at the 
 same time keeping the right elbow down. At 
 the next word, he turns the right elbow up, 
 holding the mane between the finger and 
 thumb of the left hand, with the right elbow 
 up. At the next word he brings the right- 
 hand from the mane to the stirrup-leather, 
 turning the flat side towards the body. At the- 
 next motion, he puts the left foot into the stir- 
 rup, and slips the right hand along the cantle 
 to the off side of the saddle, as far as he can 
 reach. At the word " Mount," he rises in the 
 stirrup till he stands straight on the left leg, 
 bringing the right heel close to the left ; the- 
 body continuing erect, as if standing on the 
 ground. At the next word, he places himself 
 
on the saddie, and tlie leg and thigh are thrown 
 over the croupe ; and he slips his hand from the 
 cantle to the pommel of the saddle, for the 
 purpose of seating himself easily. By raising 
 and turning in the toe of the right foot he then 
 places it in the off stirrup. 
 
 This method of mounting a horse is evidently 
 meant only for the military man, w^hose disci- 
 pline requires a degree of precision, and w^hose 
 motions are marked by a distinct word of com- 
 mand. "Without it, there would be no uni- 
 formity. It is a precision, too, which is only~ 
 observed while in the ranks •, for in the bustle 
 of an action, if the soldier be dismounted, it 
 is entirely dispensed with. The man of plea- 
 sure should certainly adopt the outline, but 
 there is no occasion for his observance of so 
 much formality. It is essential, however, that 
 he should perform it with elegance; and he 
 cannot do better than take for his example the 
 military method. 
 
 The first lessons of riding commence by 
 quitting the bit-rein, and taking the snaffle, or 
 badoon rein, in each hand, and without stir- 
 rups, which teaches them independent firm- 
 ness on the saddle. 
 
Riding is one of the most general uses to? 
 which horses are appHed, and the most ele- 
 gant and healthy exercise for either a man or 
 woman. It is therefore necessary to say some- 
 thing m.ore on the subject, and to give a few- 
 general hints to those who have not properly 
 attended to this art, and which are essential to 
 their own safety and pleasure, as well as to the 
 comfort of horses. There is no attitude in 
 which a man exhibits so aukward an appear- 
 ance as when on horseback, if he be unused to 
 riding. The horses themselves are not only 
 aware of this ignorance, but also of the timidity 
 that consequently attends it; and they, in- 
 stinctively as it were, take advantage of it. 
 But by observing a proper method of mounting, 
 and being firmly seated on the saddle, this 
 aukwardness will be corrected, by sitting erect 
 with the shoulders back, and the breast and 
 belly pressed forward; the ball of the foot must 
 be placed in the stirrup, with the heels rather 
 lower than the toes, the latter pointing for- 
 ward, or turned inwardly, if in the ranks of 
 the cavalry, which will prevent the spurs be- 
 ing thrust into the horse by the persons 
 on each side when in close order. The 
 k6 
 
204 
 
 body must not be supported with stiffness, but 
 with ease and boldness, nor must the legs be 
 pressed too close to the horse^s sides, or, on 
 the contrary, extended too far from his body. 
 The hams are to be kept stiff, but not with 
 constraint. The bridle must be held at such 
 a length as not to compel the rider to give to 
 his body a stooping position ; nor must the arm 
 extend farther over the withers than about tv»^o 
 inches. The reins should be of such a length 
 as to feel the horse's mouth gently, witliout 
 pulling him. In altering a pace, nothing more 
 is required than to give the horse his head, by 
 extending the arm forward, but not letting the 
 reins slip through the hand. The most trivial 
 relaxation gives him to understand the intention 
 of the rider. The proper seat is the middle 
 of the saddle ; and the saddle ought to be as 
 nearly as possible in the middle of the horse's 
 back, which is the centre of motion. The 
 elbows must not be pressed too close to the 
 body, nor held at too great a distance, but suf- 
 fered to hang naturally by the sides. A good 
 rider never presses his horse with his knees,, 
 except in leaping. It is not.by any constrained 
 exertion of tliis kind that the scat is kept, but 
 
205 
 
 by supporting the body perpendicularly, and 
 managing the horse well with the bridle. 
 
 The danger that results from the restiveness 
 of a horse can only be guarded against by care 
 and courage. Kicking, plunging, and rearing 
 are extravagancies to v/hich every rider is liable, 
 and whenever they occur, flexibility of body is 
 essential to counteract the consequences. On 
 the sudden elevation of the fore legs, the body 
 should be thrown forward with all its weight, 
 which will suiiiciently preponderateagainst the 
 animal's exertions to disengage himself; and in 
 kicking, a conduct diametrically the reverse 
 .must be adopted, to prevent being thrown over 
 his head: but in the former case, it not unfre- 
 quently happens that a horse, when he finds 
 himself opposed v/ith firmness, will plunge 
 forv/ard violently, and thus endeavour to re- 
 venge himself ; but it only requires that his 
 motions should be cautiously observed to ren- 
 der all his restiveness fruitless. 
 
 In the slow paces of the horse, the rider 
 must sit easy, and erect, and not bend his body- 
 in a careless manner; in the trot and gallop, 
 however, a slight inclination forward is neces- 
 sary, in proportion to the velocity of the 
 
2c6 
 
 horse's motion, for the purpose of facUltathig 
 his speed. 
 
 In riding, the stirrups should always be suf- 
 ficiently short to enable the rider, by means of 
 springing, to lessen his weight on the horse; 
 but they should not be so much so as to occa- 
 sion an aukward bending of the knees. 
 
 In hunting, the stirrups should be shorter 
 than for the cavalt-y, or on the road ; for the 
 action of the horse being more irregular and 
 violent, particularly in crossing a country 
 where many rising or flying leaps occur, the 
 legs of the rider will be lest exposed to acci- 
 dents, and it also diminishes, in proportion, 
 the fatigues of the horse. 
 
 At the commencement of the Chapter, the 
 regular process of mounting horses, by mili- 
 tary men, was explained. As the dismount- 
 ing is efFe6led by motions similar in almost 
 every respect, and by different words of com- 
 mand, it has not been thought necessary to 
 give it in detail. In this, as well as in mount- 
 ing, except when in the ranks, the rider is 
 subject to many local circumstances ; and, of 
 course, he is obliged to conform to tliem. 
 
207 
 
 The man of pleasure may, as in mounting, 
 adopt the outline; but he will naturally depart 
 from the formality. 
 
 All military practices are now, however, 
 very likely to be more generally diiFused, in 
 consequence of the spirit of loyalty that is 
 manifested by all ranks to oppose the incursions 
 of a neighbouring tyrant. 
 
2®S 
 
 CHAP. XLVIL 
 
 ON LEAPING. 
 
 HOWEVER spirited in their action and- 
 natural paces, horses require to be taught to 
 leap. All the leaps which are requisite for a 
 horse to perform are three, viz. tlie standing, 
 the rising,^ and the flying leap, and each of 
 these depends on one or other of the seven 
 artificial motions already mentioned, in v/hich 
 if he has been instructed he will leap the bet- 
 ter. It. is best to begin vt^ith the standing leap; 
 and after he hao been v^^ell broke in and sup- 
 pled, it will not be a difficult matter to teach 
 him to leap safe and well. 
 
 The standing leap being the foundation of 
 the other two, it is necessary to speak of it 
 first. A standing leap is that which a horse 
 may perform v/ithout much exertion, such as 
 
209 
 
 leaping over a drain, ditch, rivulet, &c. or over 
 a bar, gate, or any other elevcition of a mode- 
 rate height. In the first, the horse must not 
 be thrown too much on his haunches, because 
 his object is rather to leap str-.i'^ht forward 
 than to rise; he must therefore have more rein, 
 and his head consequently more freedom. But 
 in this, as well as in every other viol -nt exer- 
 tion of the horse, the rider must use all his 
 caution, especially if he be unaccustomed to it. 
 It is necessary, therefore, at the moment the 
 horse contracts himself for the purpose of 
 leaping, that the person on his back should be 
 prepared, by taking a firm seat in the saddle, 
 and by pressing the hollow part of the thighs 
 with adequate force against the sides of the 
 horse; which is not only a security against 
 being thrown by the agitation, but also relieves 
 the rider from the violence that accompanies 
 a reliance on the spring of the foot. This ob- 
 servation, it must be confessed, is quite un- 
 necessary \o the man of experience ; but to 
 those who are at the commencement of their 
 field career it may not be an unacceptable hint. 
 In the pursuit of pleasure in tlie field, careless- 
 ness is the prominent feature of almost all 
 
210 
 
 young men, whose eagernese prompts them to 
 be foremost in the sport, regardless of the 
 diingcrs^tbat too frequently attend the spirit of 
 emulation in sueh exercises. It becomes the 
 duty, therefore, of those VvVio have already 
 been initiated to point out, eit'ier by precept or 
 example, the means that should be adopted by ^ 
 their successors to guard themselves against 
 the consequences of- precipitancy in matters 
 that require all their care; for by the inadver- 
 tency of a moment the most dreadful pains 
 and penalties have been inflicted, that have 
 only ceased with life. He who attempts to vie 
 with the experienced, should at least have a 
 degree of maturity to assist him ; and he who 
 is most mature should never be unmindful of 
 danger. We have digressed so far, in order to 
 shev/ the necessity of caution in violent pur- 
 suits j and by attending to the maxim, many 
 bad consequences will be averted. "We now 
 proceed on the subject. 
 
 As the rise in this leap is not great, the de- 
 scent v.ill neither "be very violent nor rapid; 
 there Vvdli consequently be no occasion to check 
 the horse forcibly v/ith the bridle. It will be 
 suilicient to let him feel the bit moderately, and 
 
21 I 
 
 not to pull or check him whll 
 performing his leap, v/hicli may bring him 
 down before he reaches the opposite side. This- 
 leap is performed on that motion called the 
 demi-volte, v/hich^ as well as the other artifi- 
 cial motions, has been before described. 
 
 A rising leap is over a bar, gate, or other 
 fixed fence, and which a horse, on account of 
 its height, cannot accompUsh, unless he is put 
 a good deal on his mettle, and brought to it on 
 a slow, steady gallop. He must be rode up 
 to it coolly, and m.ust choose his own distance, 
 which, when accustomed to leap, he can do 
 better than his rider. In this leap, the horse 
 brings both his fore feet close together, throv/s 
 himself on his haunches, and springs, by the 
 assistance of his hind legs, into the air, with 
 his fore legs bent in towaids his belly, and 
 when at the height of Lis leap, he throws up 
 his hind legs in like manner, strikes them out 
 straight and forcibly behind him, and alights 
 on the opposite side with his feet close together, 
 in the sime manner as he rose. The rider 
 must bend tor ward, at the same time sustain- 
 ing his horse's head with the bridle, but not 
 checldng him, and accommodating his body to 
 
212- 
 
 the motions oi tlie animal. This leap is a 
 compound of the corvet and crcupade. 
 
 The flying leap is that which carries a horse 
 over a wide drain, ditch, &c. and that he may 
 acquit himself properly, he shoukl be brought 
 to the obstacle he has to surmount on a smart 
 gallop or canter* In this, as in oiher leaps, 
 the rider's body must act contrary to the 
 horse's motions; yet so much flexibility is not 
 required as in a high leap. Giving free scope 
 to the animal is the surest mean tliat can be 
 adopted to enable him to accomplish his ob- 
 je6i:; for such is the sagacity of the horse, 
 that he measures the distance of a leap with 
 his eye with unaccountable accuracy, and sel- 
 dom fails, if there be time for preparation, to 
 achieve the wishes of his rider. This leap is 
 performed on the capriole. 
 
 When men determine to take leaps, they 
 should on no account brtray fear at the m.o- 
 ment of exertion j for the slightest apprehen- 
 sion of the rider discourages the horse, and 
 thwarts his endeavours; v/hereas, if he be left 
 to himself, and receives no sort of check, he 
 will perform liis task. 
 
 In hunting, however, there are many un- 
 
213 
 
 foreseen difficulties to encounter, to which the 
 utmost strength is inadequate. In marshy- 
 countries it is almost impossible for a horse to 
 accomplish a leap of any considerable extent 
 or height, whatever courage or capacity he may 
 possess. Where there is not a firm founda- 
 tion for the feet, the attainment is uncertain. 
 
214 
 
 CHAP. XLVIII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 WIl. are now arrived at that part of the 
 Treat'ij-ej, in which it is necessary to recapitu- 
 late the contents cf the foregoing Chapters j 
 and we cannot dismiss the subject without ex- 
 pressinij an earnest wish that whatever has 
 been advanced may tend to accomplish the 
 object of our solicitude, which is simply to 
 point out what it is presumed are the best fea- 
 tures in the character of horses, and the quali- 
 ties which are essential to manifest their supe- 
 riority, the advantages that must result from 
 a well established judgement; the policy of 
 conforming to system in every thing that con- 
 cerns the breed *, and, amongst a variety of 
 other suggestions, to guard the ignorant and 
 the unv/ary against the ai;tifices of designing 
 men, and to instruct them in the common 
 rules of choice. These are topics which, 
 
2'5 
 
 ^^vhile they have no claim to originality, are at 
 least such as cannot be too frequently enforced; 
 and such as, if properly attended to, will ef- 
 fectually prevent (as far as possibility c?in pre- 
 vent) the disappointments and vexations that so 
 often attend immaturity. It ^ has not been 
 thought necessary to enlarge, in a very exten- 
 sive degree, en a subject which has been the 
 theme of more able talents ; it is an humble 
 attempt to reduce to precision those points, a 
 •.iowkdge of v/hich may not be unacceptable 
 to those who require it. 
 
 Yv'ith all the advantages, hov/ever, of expe- 
 rience and science, the judgem.ent may some- 
 times be deceived : nor is it in the power of 
 human foresight to guard against vicissitude. 
 In matters of this kind, then, much must be 
 left to chance; but the rules of probable recti- 
 tude, if closely adhered to, will obviate, in a 
 great measure, the effects of^casualty. 
 
 The constitutions of horses are as various as 
 those of t!ie human species, and the pov/ers of 
 art have been exerted to a great extent in de- 
 fining the nature and causes of the numicrous 
 diseases to which they are liable. The per- 
 fection to which the researches of some emi- 
 
2l6 
 
 nent men have been carried, to ascertain what 
 till lately has perplexed the soundest judge- 
 ment, sufficiently demonstrates their desire to 
 alleviate the sufferings of the most useful ani- 
 mal that is subservient to our purposes, and 
 evinces an amiable and industrious spirit, which 
 it is hoped may inspire others, who are emu- 
 lous to acquire celebrity, to pursue their ex- 
 ample. 
 
 We cannot ornit here paying a tribute of 
 respect to an individual, whose intense study 
 and profound inquiries have reduced the intri- 
 cacy of the veterinary system to the capacity 
 of the meanest practitioner; and to conceal 
 the name of Mr. White were little short of 
 an act of injustice. But by thus signalising 
 one man, we would not be thought to depre- 
 cate the talents of others ; for there are many 
 who deserve the highest encomiums for the 
 eagerness they have shown in endeavours to 
 mitigate the pains, and to ameliorate the con- 
 dition of the Horse. 
 
 But there are still many mysteries in the 
 animal frame which can only be developed by 
 time and circumstance; the Power that thinks 
 fit to conceal them from the knowledge of man 
 
217 
 
 for the present, will, by degrees, communicate 
 them ail. 
 
 In reverting to the external points of per- 
 fection in a horse, we particularly recommend 
 a close observance of the rules that have been 
 suggested. They will at least assist the judge- 
 ment of the inexperienced, who purchase from 
 the stud of a dealer, against whom it is a kind 
 of duty to guard them; for horse-dealers, in 
 general, are a class of men that we cannot 
 compliment for their integrity. It were the 
 height of injustice, however, to imagine that 
 they all deserve the character that is imputed 
 to them, for we could mention many excep- 
 tions. 
 
 The four most essential objects of our care 
 are, the head, the feet, the back, and the knees. 
 Though it seldom happen that all these mem- 
 bers are to' be met with, as perfectly as we 
 could wish them, in one horse, yet it is proper 
 that those which are selected either for the ar- 
 my or for pleasure should possess them to a 
 certain extent. The spirit, which demonstrates 
 itself even in the features, cannot be dispensed 
 with; for without it, neither satisfaction nor 
 service may be expected. So much depends 
 
2l8 
 
 upon itf indeed, that when it is deficient our 
 very safety is at stake. There are many oc- 
 currences in riding in which men would be 
 submitted to the greatest dangers, were it not 
 for a proper degree of spirit when it is re- 
 quired. The sportsman, on an inanimate 
 horse, exposes himself to the risk of his life ; 
 while a spirited one will carry him through 
 the greatest difEculties. The soldier's situa- 
 tion is still more perilous ; his twofold danger 
 demands all the fire and energy of which the 
 animal is capable. In parrying the sabre of 
 an enemy, however expert and courageous the 
 combatants may be, it is necessary that their 
 horses should be so too ; for to him, whose 
 horse is inferior in this respect, the conse- 
 quences are generally fatal. The alternative, 
 at best, is a wound, a prison, or a grave. 
 
 But notv/ithstanding the necessity there may 
 be for the quality which we have here insisted 
 on, still there are others which are essential to 
 raise horses to emimence in the opinion of the 
 man of judgement. It is not merely in the firm- 
 ness of a Umb that we are to place reliance 3 it 
 is the symmetry, the proportion, that consti- 
 tutes excellence and beauty. The labouring 
 
liorse, whose joints are firmly cemented, ancT 
 whose powers are great, affords to the eye an 
 object of admiration while we contemplate the 
 immensity of his strength; yet very few horses 
 of this description have any claim on our 
 praise for uniformity of figure. The very na- 
 ture of their employment, indeed, produces 
 distortion. We do not mean to infer, how- 
 ever, that power is not requisite for the army 
 as w^ell as for pleasure ; nor must it be imagined 
 that the greatest strength is to be met with in 
 limbs of magnitude ; for though the texture 
 may be different, and the body less robust, the 
 )nore delicate horse is generally assisted by a 
 portion of spirit which gives him durability in 
 fatigues, and courage in pursuit. 
 
 Horses should certainly be adapted to the 
 weight of the rider j for it were unreasonable 
 to expect that those of a slight texture, if 
 mounted by heavy men, will be so long ser- 
 viceable as those that are more firm; for how- 
 ever great may be their spirit, by continually 
 urging them to exertions under heavy burthens, 
 the spirits relax, the sinev/s become infirm, 
 and the animal ultimately falls a victimto his 
 own perseverance. 
 
 L 2 
 
220 
 
 There is a degree of cruelty attached to the 
 conduct of those persons who urge horses be- 
 yond their n:itural powers, which no incentives 
 can justify. In the chace., it is true, some- 
 thing may be said in favour of men who have 
 been led on by hopes that the object of their 
 pursuit might, after having been driven to 
 some distance, return to his native wiles, and 
 thus shorten the toils of the day; but it fre- 
 quently happens that such persons are allured 
 to follow farther than their horses can carry 
 them without pain, regardless of their distance 
 from home*, and perhaps their sport is con- 
 cluded in a country which affords no means of 
 obtaining either rest or sustenance; and thus 
 they are compelled to aggravate the sufferings of 
 their horses, by lengthening their fatigues : for 
 such men, as has been observed, there may be 
 some apology, as both themselves and their 
 horses are generally well qualified for exertions 
 of this sort; yet ih^ cruelty of such conduct 
 cannot be questioned. On the road, however, 
 there can be no excuse for urging a horse be- 
 yond his strength. Long journies on a bad 
 road are more injurious than any other labour; 
 and as the resources are numerous, they sliould 
 often be resorted to. 
 
221 
 
 Whenever difference of opinion arises re- 
 specting horses, it is generally on those points 
 which are rather the effect of caprice than of 
 judgement; for no man would attempt to op- 
 pose those maxims of choice which have re- 
 ceived the sanction of time, and which are too 
 evident to admit of controversy. But caprice 
 has its benefits. From it results many advan- 
 tages to the dealer, by procuring for him the 
 high prices that are frequently bestowed to 
 indulge the fancy, while the real worth of the 
 animal is not considered. It is to caprice that 
 he is indebted for that unceasing desire of 
 change which frequently releases him from. 
 horses which otherwise would have remained 
 a heavy charge on his revenues. In short, it 
 may be fairly presumed, that in this age of 
 v/himsicality a horse-dealer gains more by ex- 
 change than by any other source of profit. It 
 not unfrequently happens that men of fortune, 
 merely from a love of variety, dispose of an 
 entire stud one day, and perhaps the very next 
 fills his stables with horses of another colour 
 and size; and, indeed, these changes- are prac- 
 ticed, in a comparative extent, by numerous 
 Individuals who keep no more than one or two 
 
222 
 
 horses. It were to be wished, however, that 
 these exchanges could be effected without im- 
 peaching the credit of the seller or the under- 
 standing of the purchaser, which is too often 
 the case j for in placing an implicit reliance on 
 the fair words of those we trust, we relinquish 
 our own judgement in the hope of an honour- 
 able indemnification, which is often rewarded 
 by the basest deception. 
 
 In having frequently alluded to horse dealers, 
 we trust it will not be construed into a desire 
 to attach to them the slightest odium as a 
 collective body ; for as there is a proneness in 
 all other men to derive advantage from supe- 
 rior talents, it v/ere selfish and inconsistent to 
 deny it to them. Buying and selling are 
 honourable sources of wealth; but he who, in 
 transactions of this sort, either sports with the 
 credulity, or imposes on the ignorance of an- 
 other, by fixing the stamp of perfection on 
 things that have no claim to genuineness, for- 
 feits the confidence and deserves the reproach 
 of all mankind . 
 
 But since the artifices of horse dealers rtiay 
 be detected by paying proper attention to es- 
 sential points, we have endeavoured to dis- 
 
223 
 
 charge our duty by a plainness and perspicuity 
 which cannot be misunderstood; and while we 
 offer to the world, with deference, our opini- 
 ons on the qualities that constitute the stand- 
 ard of usefulness, if not of perfection, and 
 again recommend to the reader an adherence 
 to our maxims, we resign the Book to his 
 indulgence and his candour. 
 
 THE ENP, 
 
 D. N. SHURY, PRIKJER, BERWICK STREET, SOHO,