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A Treatise on Farriery.

A TREATISE on FARRIERY, with
ANATOMICAL PLATES.
GREEABLE to the intima-

A tion given in their

laft Number, the EDITORS of the SPORTING MAGAZINE now beg leave to prefent their Subfcribers with a part of their intended Treatife on the Art of Farriery, illuftrated with Anatomical Plates, which they pledge themfelves fhall be continued in regular monthly fucceffion, until the whole is completed.

In this Treatife the Editors mean not to fhew their deep reading, by a pompous difplay of high-founding words, with which the fcientific publications of the prefent day fo commonly abound;

133

THE EXTERNAL PARTS OF A

HORSE.

Of thefe, the first that offers itself to our notice is the coat, which is called the hair, and has different denominations in feveral parts of the body. The foretop, is the topping, or tuke; the hairs on the under lip are the beard; those which grow along the upper part of the neck are called the mane; the part that is most arched, the creft; and when that finks, a horfe is faid to be creft-fallen; the tuft of hair which grows on the lower part of the leg behind, above the heel, is termed the feetlock, or fetlock; the hair that grows round med the crown, or crott, or cowover the top of the hoof, is nanet; the hair on the eyelids is

the brills.

but will content themfelves with adopting a plain, and, they truft, comprehenfive ftile, which they think much better adapted to The ufual term by which the thofe into whofe hands the fub- body of a horfe is diftinguished, ject they are about to treat on, is the careafe: thus, a horfe with may happen to fall: nor do they a large body is faid to have a large think it neceffary to detain the carcafe; when the body is comreader's attention from the grand pact and well made, he is faid to object he is in purfuit of, by exhave a good carcafe. The foreplaining what their ideas are of head is often called the bromo.. the utility of the plan; it being which are moft remarkable in The two hollows above the eyes, obvious to every one, that to pre-old horfes, are termed the eyeferve ths noble animal which nature has conftructed for the ufe and benefit of mankind, ought to be the primay object of his poffeffor's attention. All, therefore, that is neceffary to be faid by way of introducing the following pages to the notice of the public is, that the writers have found them to be ufeful, and they have ho doubt but they will meet the approbation of every practical as well as theoretic obferver.

*

*

The annexed beautiful Engraving, defcribing the external parts of the Horfe, the PROPRIETORS hope will be acceptable to their

readers.

VOL. IV. No. XXI.

pits.

The mark which frequently runs down the face is the rache; and the white spot in the forehead, the ftar. The joins to the neck, is the poll; back part of the head, where it and the juncture of the head and neck, the onfet, or fetting on of the head. The lips, with the tip

of the nose, form the muzzle. The place on. the infide of the mouth, where the tongue lies, is that run across the upper part, of the charnet. The fiefhy rows the mouth, and are very remarkable in young horfes, are called the bars. The top of the fhoulder-blades, and the highest part of $

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134

A Treatise on Farriery.

the fpine, at the fetting on of the neck, is the withers; and from the top of this a horfe is meafured to know his fize. From the withers to the hind part of the back, are the reins. Next the reins are the loins; though fome call the whole extent, from the withers to the croup, the reins. The extremity of the reins, above the hips to the tail, is calJed the croup. The part weere the crupper lies, is the channel; and the tail is the dock or runt. The finking of the back, if any, is named the way.

The hinder part of the belly next the genitals, is called the flank, which reaches from the fmall ribs to the haunches. The loose skin which covers the yard, is the heath. The belly reaches from the brisket to the fheath. The point from the withers to the top joint of the thigh, inclofing the whole breaft on both fides, is called the fhoulder. The fore legs or arms begin from the fhoulder; and the hind part pointing towards the brifket, is the elbow. The middle joint is the knee, to which the fore leg or arm reaches. The extent from the knee to the paftero is called the bank; and the strong tendon behind the fank, which is inferted into the heel, is termed the back finew. The place where the thank joins the paftern, is diftinguished by the paftern or fetlock joint. The pattern reaches from the lower part of this joint to the foot, and has a joint in the middle to facilitate the motion of the foot, which diftinguishes it into two parts, the great paftern next the fhank, and the leffer, next the foot. The joining of this laft with the foot called the coffin joint.

The hoof is by fome called the hern, but most commonly the

coffin, because it enclofes the bone of the foot. The tender part of the hoof next the heel has the name of the frush; and the ball of the foot, the frog. Though fome give the fame denomination to both; and the frush or frog rifes from the middle of the foot, and reaches to the heel. The foal is that horny part which covers the rest of the bottom of the foot, and adheres to the verge of the hoof, where nails are driven when a horse is fhod. The fides meeting on the heel are called the quarters. 1

The haunches begin at the two bones of the back part of a horse, which inclofe the loins, and defcend

to the ham or hock, or hough. The stifle is the knee-pan of a horfe, feated in the middle joint of the thigh, and is out. wardly that part which fets out from the thigh towards the belly. The thigh or gascoin begins at the ftifle, and reaches to the beading of the ham or hock. The ham or hock is the bending of the hind leg, and the round knob bebind is called the heel of the hock, in which the great mafter finew is inferted. The small of the hind leg has the name of the inftep. The pafterns and feet are diftinguifhed

in the fame manner as in the fore legs, and need no other defcrip. tion. That fide of a horse which we approach in order to mount him, is called the near-fide, and the other the off-fide. Hence come the terms of near-foot and off-foot, the near eye and the off eye, and fo of the reft.

The next matter which in a progreffive ftate fhould engage our attention, is the Method of determining the Age of a Horfe; but as that has been already explained in our firft Volume, page 356, we fhall only, by way of illuftrating the fubject ftill further, in a

future

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A Treatife on Farriery.

future Number, give a plate from
a drawing which we have in our
poffeffion, defcriptive of the teeth
of that animal, and by which his
age is generally known.

OF THE PROPERTIES OF A GOOD
HORSE.

There is no man, though ever fo well verfed in the knowledge of a horse, that is able to diftinguifh all their faults at the firft view. Some things ftand in need of examination more than once, otherwise there may be very ef fential mistakes committed.

The thighs and legs fhould be clean, and free from every kind of blemish. The knees thould be straight, not bending; the fkin and fhank thin; the back finews ftrong, and well braced. The finews and the bone fhould be evidently diftinct, in fuch a manner as to make the legs appear thin and lathy, not full and round. The paftern joints fhould be free from diforders of all kinds, never large and round, for then they may justly be fufpected. Nor must there be any fwelling near the coronet. The hocks fhould be lean and dry, not puf. fed up with wind; which you may know by laying your finger upon it, for the iwelling will readily change its place.

With regard to the hoof, the coronet should be equally thick, the horn fhining and greyifh. When the horn is white, it is a fign of a bad foot, that will wearout in a short time. A thin weak foot, that is, when the horn is thin, is liable to be spoiled in hoeing, and by travelling hard on fiony ground, by droughts in hot feafons, and by too much moisture in winter, The thinnels of the born will beft appear when the fhoe is taken off; for the verge all round the foal will appear thin, and the horfe will

135

wince at the leaft touch of the pincers. But as this is generally not permitted, you may conclude the fame when the fhoe-nails are driven high to take fufficient hold. The heel and frog likewife are often very tender to the touch, and fometimes one point of the heell will frand higher than the other.

The Arong foot has the fibres of the hoof very diftinct, running in a ftraight line from the coronet to the toe, like the grain of wood. Some fuch feet will laft very well, if care be taken to keep them moift and pliable; yet if they are neglected when the horfe travels much, efpecially on ftony grounds, or when he stands long in a hot dry stable, they will be apt to go tender and lame, when there is no apparent defect in the foot.

This happens from the foot, being bruifed by the hardness of the hoof.

The greatest inconvenience attending a hard ftrong foot, is its being fubject to refts and fiffures,. which cleave the hoof quite through, fometimes from the

coronet down to the bottom. Thefe clefts being for the most part in the quarter,, feldom admit of any other remedy, than extirpating the whole piece that lines next the heel.

A narrow heel is likewife a defect; though the feet of fome borfes are tolerably good when their heels are narrow, unless the foot is hot. When the heel is not above two fingers in breadth, the foot is bad. Both the feet thould be of an equal fize, and not flat or without depth. if fuch a foot happens to be ftrong, the hoof fmooth, the foal firm, and the frog not decayed, rotten, or fefby, the horse will then endure the roads tolerably $2

But

weil

136

A Treatife on Farriery.

well. But when it is like an oyfter, with many rings or wrinkles, at the fame time that the foal is foft, and the frog felhy and fpongy, it is a very great fault.

The heel should neither be too high nor too low. A high heel caufes a horfe to trip and tumble often, and to go unfteadily. And low-heeled horfes, with very long, yielding pafterns, are very apt to have their heels worn quite away on a journey,

When the foot is too large in proportion to the reft of the body, though good in other refpects, fuch a horfe, at beft, will be weak and heavy, as well as unapt for brifk vigorous actions, The hind legs fhould be free from the fame défects as the fore legs.

The head of a horfe fhould be fmall, at least not too long, nor too large, rather lean than flethy. The ears fhould be fmall, erect, thin, fprightly, and pointed. His forehead or brow fhould be neither too broad nor too flat, with a ftar or fnip. His nofe fhould rife a little, and be well turned; his noftrils wide, and then he will breathe more freely. His muzzle fhould be fmall, and his mouth fhould neither be too deep nor too fhallow. His jaws fhould be thin and fufficiently wide, not approaching too near together at the throat, nor too high upwards towards the onfet, that he may have fufficient room to carry his head in an eafy graceful pofture. The eyes fhould be of a middle fize, bright, lively, and full of fire. The eyes are the index of the mind, and difcover, in a great meafure, his inclination, paffions, and indipofitions.

The tongue fhould be fmall, that it may not be preffed too much by the bit. The bars fhould be fharp ridged, and lean, and

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then be will be more eafily governed by, the bridle. It is a good fign when a horfe has his mouth full of white froth; for it fhews that he will not eafily be overheated.

The neck fhould be arched towards the middle, rifing by a beautiful gradation out of his breaft and shoulders, diminishing as it approaches towards the head; the muscles fhould be distinct, and not too full of flesh. But this is no fault in mares, because their necks are commonly too fine and flender, The hair of the mane fhould be long, thin, and fine; if it be a little frizzled, fo much the better.

His Shoulders fhould be thin from the withers, and pretty long and well raifed, with a gradual enlargement froin thence downward, fo as to render his bofom or breaft neither too narrow nor too grofs. A thick fhouldered horfe is not only difagreeable to the rider, but foon tires, and trips or ftumbles every minute; efpecially if he has a thick large neck at the fame time.

When the breafts of horfes are fo narrow, that their fore thighs almoft touch, they are worth little; for they have a weak forehand, and by croffing their legs are apt to cut; likewife in gallopping they are fubject to fall, A horfe of a middle size should have the distance of five or fix inches between his fore-thighs. And when he ffands ftraight upon his limbs, there fhould be lefs diftance between his feet than between his thighs near the fhoulders.

The body or carcafe fhould be of a middling fize, in proportion to his bulk; for when it is too fmall, the hofe is generally weak. His back fhould fink a little below the withers; but the

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