Connecticut western news., 1879-01-01
A Good Horse.

"I can't explain what a real. good horse is," said one of the best 'natured dealers in the street. They are as diff ferent as men. In buying horse, you must look first to his head and eyes for signs of intelligence, temper, courage, and honesty. Unless horse has brains you cannot teach him anything, any more than you can half-witted child. See that tall bay there, a fine looking animal, 15 hands high. You can't teach that horse anything. Why? We'll, I'll show you 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 i? We'll, I guess so ! Put him in 10-acre lot, where he's got plenty of swing, and he'll kick the horn eff the moon." The worlds treatment of man and beast has the tendency to enlarge and inten- sify bad qualities, if they predominate. This good natured phrenologist could not refrain from skipping in the facethe horse whose character had been so cruelty delineated, while he had nothing but the gentlest caresses for tall, docile, sleek-limbed sorrel, that pricked her ears forward and looked intelligent enough to understand 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 fnllness be- tween the ears and eyes. You couldn't hire that mare to act mean or hurt any, body. ....., ....
 The eye should be full, and hazel is 8 good color. like a small, thin ear. and want 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 g dishing face is cowardly, and 8 cowardly brute is usually vicious. Then I like sq uare mu zzle, with large nos trils, to let in plenty of air to the lungs
 For the under side of the head, good horse should be we'll cut under the iowl, 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 long-legged, stilty horse. Let him have short, straight back, and straight trump, and you've got a gentleman's horse. The withers should be high, and the shoulders we'll set back and broad; but don't get them too deep in the chest. The fore-leg should be short. Give me pretty straight hind leg with the hook low down, sh ort 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 sprightly, graceful, good natured, and serviceab ble. As to color, taste differs. Bays, browns, and chest nuts are the best. Roans arc very fash ionable at present. A great many grays and sorrels are bought here for shin ment to Mexico and Cuba. They do well in a hot climate, under a tropical sun, for the same reason that you find
 ight-colored clothing most serviceable in summer. That circus-h horse behind you is what many people call the calico horse; now, I call him a genuin 0 piebald. It's freak of nature and may happen anywhere. "-Scfibner's Montb-