Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-12-21
A GOOD HORSE.
Explanation Of the Points Of a Real Good
Horse.

Scribnsr for january
II can't explain what a real good
horse is, said one Of the best-natured
dealers in the street. "They are as
different as men. In buying a
horse, you must look first to his head
and eyes for signs of intelligence, tenn
per, courage and honesty. Unless a
horse has brains you can't teach him
anything, any more than you can a
half-witted child. See that tall bay,
there, a fne-looking animal, fifteen
hands high. You can't teach that
horse anything. Why? Well, I'll
show you a difference in heads; but
have a care of his heels. Look at the
brute's head-that rounding nose, that
tapering forehead, that broad, full
place below the eyes. You can't trust
him. Kick? Well, l guess SOL Put
him in a ten-acre lot, where he's got
plenty of swing, and he'll kick the
horn off the MOON"
The worlds treatment of man and
beast has the tendency to enlarge and
intensity bad qualities, if they pre-
dominate. This good-natured phre-
nologist could not refrain from slap
ping in the face the horse whose char
acter had been so cruelty ~delineated,
while he had nothing but the gentlest
caresses for a tall, docile, sleek limbed
sorrel, that pricked her ears forward
and looked intelligent enough to un-
derstand all that was being said.
That's an awful good mare" he
added. "She's as true as the sun.
You can see breadth and fullness be-
tween the ears and eyes, You couldn't
hire that mare to act mean or hurt
anybody. The eyes should be full,
and hazel is a good color. | like a
small, thin ear, and want a horse to
throw his ears well forward. Look
out for the brute that wants to listen
to all the conversation going on behind
him. The horse that turns back his
ears till they almost meet at the points,
take my word for it, is sure to do
something wrong. See that straight,
elegant face. A horse with a dish face
is %cowardly, and a cowardly brute is
usually vicious. Then | like a square
muzzle with large nostrils, to let in
plenty of air to the lungs. For the
under side of the head, a good horse
should be we'll cut under the jowl,
with jaw-bones broad, and wide apart
under the throttle.
$50 much for the head, he contin-
ued.
The next thing to consider is the
build of the animal. Never buy a
long-legged, stilty horse. Let him
have a short, straight back and a
straight rump, and you've got a gen
tleman's horse. The withers should
be high and the shoulders well set
back and broad; but don't get them
too deep in the chest. The fore-leg
should be short. Give me a pretty
straight hind leg, with the hook low
down, short pastern joints, and a round,
mulish foot. There are all kinds of
horses, but the animal that has these
points is almost sure to be slightly,
graceful, good naturedand ~serviceable.
As to color, taste differs. Bays, browns
and chestnuts are the best. Roans
are very fashionable at present. A
great many grays and %sorrels are
brought here for shipment to Mexico
and Cuba. They do well in a hot eli
mate, under a tropical sun, for the
same reason that you find l~ight-colored
clothing most serviceable in summer.
That circus-horse behind you is what
many people call a calico horse; now,
| call him a genuine piebald. It's a
freak of nature, and may happen any
where"