The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-03-27
AGRICULTURE.

A GooD HoRsE-"n can't explain
what a real good horse Is" said one OF
the b~est-natured dealers la the street.
''They are as different as men. In buy
Ing a horse, you must look first to his
head and eyes for signs Of intelligence,
temper. 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, q f~lne-looklng animal, fifteen
hands high. You can't teach that
horse ANYTHING. Why? Well, I'll
show you a difference In heads; but
have a car Of his heels. Look at the
brute's head-that rounding nose, that
taperlng forehead, that broad, full
place below the eyes. You can't trust
him.. Kick2 Well, l guess sol Put
him In a ten acre lot, where he's got
plenty Of swing, and he'll kick the horn
of the moon. The worlds treatment
Of man and beast has the tendency TO
enlarge and intensity bad qualities, If
they predominant. This good-natured
phrenologist couldnot refrain from slap
ping In the face the horse whose char
acter had been so cruelty d%elineated,
while he had nothing but the gentlest
caresses for a tall, docile, sleek-limbed
sorrel, that prlcked her ears forward
and looked intelligent enough to under
stand all that was being said, CHATS
an awful good mare" he added. "She's
as true as the sum-. You can see breadth
and fulness between the ears and eyes.
You could't hire that mare TO act mean
or hurt anybody. The eye should be
full, and hazel is a good color, l 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 almost sure to
do something wrong. See that straight,
elegant face. A horse with a dishing
face is cowardly, and a cowardly brute
is usually vicious. Then l 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 well cut under the jowl, with
jaw-bones broad, and wide apart under
the throttle. So much for the head, ;" he
continued. "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 astraight
rump, and you've got a gentleman'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-natured and 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 bought
here for shipment to Mexico and Cuba.
They do well in a hot climate, under a
tropical sun, for the same reason that
you find l~lght-colored clothing most
s~ervlceable in summer. That circus
horse behind you is what many people
call a calico-horse; now, [ call him a
genuine pie-bald. It's a freak of nature
and may happen anywhere"