The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-12-03
A Good Horse.
From Scribner's Monthly.

81 can't explain what real good
horse u.s." said one of the best natured
dealers in the street. "They are as
different as men. IN buying horse
YOU must look first to his head
and eyes for signs of intelligence,
temper, courage and honesty. I'm
less horse has brains you can't teach
him anything, any more than you can
halfwitted child. See that tall bay,
there, a fine looking animal, fifteen
hands high. You can't teach that
horse anything, Why? Well, I'll
show you a difference in heads but
have care of his heels. Look at the
brutes ,head-that rounding nose,
and tapering forehead, that broad,
full place below the eyes. You can't
trust him. Kick? Well, I guess so !!
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
predominant This good natured
phrenologist could not refrain from
slapping in the face the horse whose
character had been so cruelty define
ated, while he had nothing but the
gentlest caresses for a tall, docile,
sleek.iimbed sorrel, that pricked her
ears forward and looked intelligent
enough to understand all that was be-
ing said.
"That's an awful good mare," he
added. "She's as true as the sun.
You can see breadth and fulness be-
/ tween the ears and eyes. You could
not hire that mare to act mean OF
hurt anybody. The eye should be
full, and hazel is good color.
like q small, thin ear, and want a horse
to throw his ears well forward. Look
out for the brute that wants to lister
to all the conversation going on be
hind 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 dishing face is cowardly, and g
cowardlY brute is usually vicious
Then 1 like a square muzzle with
large nostrils, to let in plenty of all
to the lungs. For the underside O.
the head, good horse should be vel
cut under the iowl, with jaw-bone,
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 hin
have a short, straight back and s
straight rump, and you've got a gen
tleman's horse. The withers should
be high and the shoulders we'll sci
back and broad; but don't get then
too deep in the chest The fore.leg
should be stout. Give me pretty
straight hind.leg with the hook low
down, short pastern JOINTS and q
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, tastes diff
fer. 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 hot climate, under tropical sun
for the same reason that you find
light colored clothing most service
able in summer. That circus horse
behind you is what many people call
a calico horse now, cali him gen
ulne pieball. It's freak of nature
and may happen anywhere"