The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-01-20
A Good Horse.

II can't explain what real good
horse is," said one of the best natured
dealers in the street. "They are differ
ent as men in buying horse you must
look first to his head and eyes for sigus Of
intelligence, temper, courage. and homes
ty. Unless horse has brains you can't
teach him anything any more than you
can teach half-witted child. See that
tall bay there, fine looking animal
about fifteen hands high? You can't
teach that horse anything. Why? Well,
Til show you difference in heads, but
have care of his heels. Look at the
beasts head that rounding nose, that
tapering forehead, that broad, full place
below the eyes. You can't trust him.
Kick7 Well, guess 80. Put him in a
ten acre lot, where he has plenty of wing,
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 predomi-
nate. This good -natured phrenologst
could not refrain from slapping in the
face the horse whose character had been
SO cruelty delineated, while he had but
the gentlest treatment for sick-limted
sorrel that pricked her ears forward and
looked intelligent enough to understand
all that was being said.
"That's an awful good niare," he ad-
ded. "She's rs true as tie sun. You
can see breadth and fullness between the
/ ears and eyes. You can'thir that mare
to act mean or hurt anybody. The eye
should be full, and hazel is good color.
I Ikea small, thin ear, and want horse
to throw his ears we'll forward. Look
out for the brute that wants to listen to
all the conversation that is 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 dishing
face is cowardly, and cowardly brute is
always vicious. Then like square
muzzle, with large uostrils to let plenty
Of air to the lungs. For the under
side of the head good horse should be
we'll cut under the jowl, with iaw-bones
broad and wide apart under the throttle.
$50 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 short,
straight back and a straight rump, and
you've got a gentleman's horse. The
withers should be high, and the shoul'
ders we'll set tack and broad, but don't
get them too deep in the chest. The
fore legs 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 grace
ful, good-natured and serviceable. AS
to color, tastes differ. Bays, browns and
chestnuts are the best. Roans are very
fashionable a. present. A great many
grays and sorrels are brough here for
shipment to Mexico and Cuba. They
de- we'll in hot climate, under n tropical
sun, for the same reason that you find
light colored clothing most serviceable
in summer. That circus horse behind
you is what many people call calico
horse; now, call him a genuine pie.
bald. It's freak Of nature. and may
happen anywhere.-Scribner's Monthly.