3>TJEJ^W" EiiDiTionsr.
LESSONS IN
i \
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h'
PEEFAOE
The author has endeavored in the following
pages to place on a rational basis a subject that
has hitherto been taught dogmatically, if indeed
it can be truly said to have ever been taught at
aU.
The vast wealth in horse flesh, so materially
affected by selection of breeding stock, that is in-
vested in the civilized world, is the author's ex-
cuse for bringing out this httle work.
In the case of the domesticated animals man's
protective interference entirely puts aside the
great natural law, the survival of the fittest,
which obtains with such salutary effects among
non-domesticated animals. Were all the horses
of the civilized world gathered into a field, and
this field placed side by side with one containing
all the antelopes of South Africa, the great law
we have mentioned would be most strikingly
demonstrated; one field would exhibit the per-
fect, the halt and the blind, a medley of beauty,
VI. PREFACE.
and wretched deformity; whilst the other would
show only grace, elegance and excess of hfe.
At present the breeding of racing stock only
approaches the great law of survival of the fit-
test, much care being taken to register results,
and the representatives of best results are set
apart to reproduce their hke. A more perfect
combination of scientific and logical method than
is followed in the reproduction of racing stock
does not obtain in any physicist's laboratory.
With no other class of horse is this method ap-
phcable; hence the necessity of judging by other
and less exact methods, and therefore the neces-
sity of some such way as has been indicated.
Lastly, it is desirable here to point out that the
book is not written with any intention of stand-
ing in place of the thinking out process of the
learner, but is more as a guide to the hues along
which thought must be directed. By using it as
a guide, and thinking out the subject for himself,
the author beheves that any one of intelligence
may in a very few months, by observation and
diligence, become a scientific judge of a horse.
The author craves indulgence, as the work is en-
tirely original.
London,. March, 1879.
CONTENTS.
Lesson. Page.
I. Introduction 11
II. The Nostrils and Lips 22
" The Mouth 26
III. The Eye 35
IV. Face AND Head 49
V. The Neck 56
VI. The Fore Extremity 65
VII. The Fore Limbs 80
" The Trunk 85
VIII. The Hind Extremities 90
IX. Hind Extremities continued 103
" The Hock 106
X. The Wlnd, Color. Height, Coat and Hair, Age. 110
EXPLANATION OF SKELETON.
Vertebra. — The bones forming the neck and tail are seen to
be without upper processes or spines. The remainder have
spines. Those of the back proper having the longest spines,
especially at the forward part known as the withers.
Fore Extremity.— This is explained at Fig. 8.
HmD Extremity.— 33, 34, 35, 36 is the Ilio-ischium, 37.
Femur. 38. Tibia, with the Fibula at the top of it and behind it.
39. Lever bone of hock, corresponding to the human heel, and
called the os calcis. 40. The Gliding Bone, called astragalus,
with its two large gliding surfaces well seen in the right hind
leg. 41. Buffer bone of hock. 45. Metatarsal bone, with small
metatarsals (46) immediately behind it. The remaining bones
are the same as those of the fore leg.
LESSONS IN HOESE JUDGING.
LESSON I.
INTRODUCTION
1. — In the following pages it will be attempted
to place a subject which has hitherto been largely
conducted empirically on a scientific basis.
2. — Horses are hving machines hke ourselves,
and have many things in common with not-hving
machines, which obey certain well-known phys-
ical as well as physiological laws.
3. — Their mode of progression is by a system of
levers, sometimes of perfect construction and ad-
vantageously disposed, but more often of imper-
fect construction and placed at a disadvantage.
4. — In order that the general student may fol-
low us in our further remarks, it will be absolutely
necessary for us to explam briefly the construc-
tion of these living levers, which are composed of
two materials in every case, namely; an active
material and several passive materials.
6. — The active materials are the so-called mus-
cles of the body which we popularly call flesh or
' lean ' meat. These muscles, which are attached
12 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
to the levers of the body, and move them, in doing
so always act in one and the same way — namely,
by alternately lengthening and shortening. Of
these two movements, one is active, the other
passive. It is the active movement, that of short-
ening, which does the work. After a muscle has
shortened, or, as it is termed, contracted, it allows
other forces to pull it out or lengthen, it and it
passively submits to being so lengthened.
6. — All muscles are made up of countless bun-
dles, and these bmidles are made up in fibres.
These fibres being about the same size of all cases,
it follows that the more of them the stronger will
be the muscle, hence the larger the muscle the
stronger. A muscle fibre (See Fig. 1. CD) is made
up of a number of squares, placed one on the other,
as you would place a pile of dice. These squares,
on being stimulated, change their shape, as seen
in the diagram. The power of changing their
shape is called muscular irritability, and resides
somehow or other in the muscle itself, or, in other
words, every fibre has irritability. This irrita-
hility is called forth when a stimulant is applied.
Various stimulants wiU caU it forth. If you see
an animal that is newly kiUed and which has its
skin removed, you see the flesh twitch or quiver
in various parts. This is the contraction or twitch-
ing here and there of the muscles, whose irrita-
bility is affected by the cold air, the cold air act-
ing as a stimulant. If you now pinch one of the
muscles, or prick it wHh a pin, it will quiver or
contract. The same would occur if you applied
galvanism to it.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
13
The natural stimulants of the muscle are the
nerves (Fig. 1. n n), the little white cords which
you see running in various directions among the
muscles or flesh, and which come from the brain
and the spinal cord. If you had to apply a gal-
vanic battery to a muscle, before long you would
Figure 1.
A B 0 D
exhaust aU its irritability, that is, in time it would
cease to contract, showing that there is only a cer-
tain amount of irritability in the muscle. If all
the muscles of the body contract at the same time,
the whole body is perfectly rigid or stiff, a thing
we never see in health, but which we see in a
modified state after death, and which is called
rigor mortis. This general stiffness, or rigor mor-
tis, comes on as the body cools: the cold acting as
14 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
a stimulant, as we have before seen. In a few
hours or days the general stiffness disappears and
leaves the body quite flaccid, that is, the cold has
exhausted all the muscular irritability. In ani-
mals that are hunted to death, such as foxes, that
are kiUed after being chased and able to run no
further, or whose muscles have lost their irrita-
bility or power of further contracting, this rigor
mortis, or stiffness of the body after death, never
takes place. So it is with animals who die after
long and exhausting iUnesses, the stiffness after
death either occurs, or occurs so slightly as hardly
to be observed. Animals killed by lightning are
also never stiff after death. The lightning being
so powerful a stimulant as to exhaust the irrita-
bility of the muscles instantly.
7. — This irritability of muscle can be stored up
in vast quantities when the muscle is in what is
termed good tone. When we speak of a horse, a
hunter for example, being in condition, we mean
that his muscles are in good tone ; or, in other words,
that his muscles can lay in large quantities of irri-
tability, which takes hours of hard toil to exhaust.
The process by which the muscles are brought to
* tone ' is called ^ conditioning.' When large quan-
tities of this irritability have been stored, the first
expenditure of it is intensely pleasurable, and this
pleasurable excitement, unrestrained, which it
often is on first coming out of the stable, is called
^freshness.' Shortly, when some of the irrita-
bility or freshness has gone off, further expen-
diture of irritability causes neither pleasure nor
pain, but indifference, and the horse is said to
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 15
^ quieten down. ' If the exercise or work be car-
ried to an extreme, then, as the muscular irrita-
hility is vanishing, pain in the muscles comes on,
which is nature's warning to stop the machine,
and lay in another store of irritability.
8. — The part of the muscle which contracts is
its red part, called its belly (Fig. 1. 1 1) and the
hard, white glistening continuation of the belly is
called the tendon (Fig. 1. 2 2). The belly of the
muscle is usually attached to the fixed part, while
the tendon is attached to the part to be moved.
If, however, the part othervdse to be moved is
fixed, and the muscle contracts, then the part to
which the belly of the muscle is attached has to
move. When the tendon is drawn towards the
belly of the muscle and the movements again and
again repeated, the parts would become heated
by friction were it not that this is provided
against. Friction is prevented by the tendon
being surrounded by a sheath, containing a lubri-
cating material called ^ joint oil' or technically,
'synovia.' This 'joint oil' or 'synovia' is gen-
erated by a membrane lining the * sheath,' and
which gets the name of 'synovial membrane,'
because it produces the synovia.
Some muscles do not terminate in rope-shaped
tendons which have to ' play ' through lubricated
sheaths, but end in expanded sheet-hke tendons
which need no lubricating material. We shall
find that the muscles of the face are of the latter
description, and have their sheet-like tendons
closely connected to the skin over the lips. This
is well seen in ourselves in laughing. The bellies
16 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
of the muscles forming our cheeks contract and
of course swell out (Fig. 1. A), while their tendons
are attached closely to the skin of the lips, espec-
ially the upper lip, so that in laughing the cheeks
bulge out and the hps tighten and drag back-
wards.
9. — The contraction of a muscle is very limited,
so that the tendon moves a very little distance in
its sheath.
So much for the active part of the lever; the
remaining parts are made up of passive agents in
the form of bones and joints.
10. — Bones are of three varieties, named from
their shape ; long, flat, and irregular.
The long bones are largely concerned in forming
the levers ; as the fore and hind limbs, which are
mainly composed of them. The flat bones, for
the most part, make up the face and head ; the
shoulder blade is also a flat bone. The irregular
bones make up the ^back bone,' called the 'ver-
tebral column,' which extends from the head to
the tip of the tail. The bones making up the
' back bone ' are very numerous, being seven in
number for the neck, eighteen for the back, fiv
or six for the loins, five for the croup, and fron
ten to twenty for the tail. With the exception ot"
those forming the croup, which are stuck together
and immoveable one on the other, the remainder
of the bones forming this long column are slightly
moveable one on the other, so that were you to
pass a piece of stout cord down their central
canal — which canal gives passage to the spinal
cord — and hold one end of it high in the air, and
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
17
shake it to and fro, it would wriggle like an eel.
Other irregular bones are found making up the
knee and hock joints.
11. — Long bones in forming joints have to ex-
pand at their ends (See Fig. 2. A 1), and these
expanded ends are covered by a substance which
Figure 2.
r^
B
-vyVS
is yielding and elastic, and called ^ cartilage ' (Fig.
2. A 4) which acts hke a buffer, and so lessens
concussion. The two ends of the -bone are bornid
to each other by strong unstretchable fibrous
bands called ligaments' (Fig. 2. A 2). Oil is
generated just as it is in the sheath of a tendon
f by a synovial membrane (Fig. 2. A 3), and is rep-
resented in our diagram by a dotted hue. When
a joint is subject to more than ordinary concus-
sion; as, for instance, the M^nee' joint, provision
18 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
is made for additional cartilage by irregular bones
being interposed between the two ends of the long
bones (Fig. 2. jB), each of these bones being thickly
covered on its upper and lower surfaces, where
the concussion comes, by cai-tilage. So that in a
section from above downwards through the 'knee'
joint, instead of two buffers being interposed we
find six. The bone above the knee, and the bone
below it being in a straight line when the weight
of the body is thrown upon them, much concus-
sion would take place were it not for this arrange-
ment. When bones which meet and form a joint
are set at an angle, then of course there is less
chance of concussion, and so we find less ' carti-
lage ' needed.
12. — As there are three forms of levers, we
must be careful to remember this, and we shall
close this somewhat dry and relatively uninter-
esting lesson by a few remarks on the mechanical
lever, and compare it with the animal lever.
The lever is an unyielding bar (represented in
the animal by bone), capable of free motion about
a fixed axis, called the 'fulcrum.' To this lui-
yielding bar, ' power ' is applied (which in the
animal lever is represented by muscle and its ten-
don). Lastly, we have the weight, resistance, or
obstacle to be overcome by the power.
If the fulcrum {F) be placed between the power
(P) and the weight (TF), so that when the power
sets the lever in motion the weight and the power
describe arcs, the concavities of wliich are turned
towards one another, the lever is said to be of the
fii^st order (See Fig. 3, A). If the fulcrum be at
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
19
one end, and the weight be between it and the
l^ower, so that weight and power describe concen-
tric arcs, the Weight moving through less space,
the lever is of the second order (Fig. 3, B). And
if, the fulcrum being still at one end, the Power
be between the Weight and Fulcrum so that the
Figure 3.
W^
5
\
W
i^ ^ — ^ — ?w
Power and Weight describe concentric arcs, the
Power moving through less space, the lever is of
the third order (Fig. 3, (7).
We shall now give examples of these; first in
mechanical levers: —
Lever of First order =^ the beam of the balance.
Lever of Second order = the common wheel-
barrow.
Lever of Third order = the treadle of a lathe.
In the living lever we find one joint will illus-
trate all three orders according to its position with
regard to the body. Let us take the hock-joint,
20 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
in man called the ankle. We find, still referring
to Fig. 3, that we have in the living lever a power
in front and another behind the leg bone.
Now to illustrate our three orders of levers, we
find we have only to study the hock- joint in the
trot. The first order is seen in the hock in the
trot after the foot has been hf ted from the ground.
To bring it quickly to the ground we find the ful-
crum at the true hock- joint, the power attached
behind to the point of the hock, and the iveight
to be moved, and all the parts below the hock,
including, of course, the foot.
To illustrate our lever of the second order, take
the hock in the trot when the foot is placed o?ithe
ground. We now find the fulcrum and weight
have changed places, but the power is still as in
the first order, behind the hock. The foot being
planted on the ground is now the seat of i\iQ ful-
crum, or fixed point, and the iveight is the whole
of the body which is thrown on to the true hock-
joint, and is the obstacle to be overcome, and is
being hfted and pushed forward.
Lastly, our lever of the third order is seen in
the hock during the trot, when the hind leg is
left behind after pushing the body forward, and
has to be lifted and pulled forward before it can
again be brought forward under the body (this is
the same action, and better seen, when the him
foot is being lifted to knock of a fly that is irri-
tating the belly), the front power is now acting,
and the weight and fulcrum are the same as in
the example of the third order, or, in other words,
the power is in the middle.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 21
Summarizing what has been said of the three
orders of lever as exemphfied by the hock- joint
in trotting, we have f omid first, that the weight
is all parts below the hock when the foot is ojf
the ground, and all parts above the hock when
the foot is on the ground. Second, when the foot
is off the ground and swinging backwards the
lever is of the first order, but when swinging for-
wards it is of the third order, whilst it is of the
second order when on the ground.
LESSON II.
THE NOSTRILS AND LIPS.
13. — The nostrils are those openings over the
muzzle through which the air has to pass on its
way to the lungs, and as a horse cannot breathe
through his mouth, all the air he breathes 7nust
pass throught his nostrils, so that they must be as
tvide as possible.
The nostrils are made up of muscles, which are
covered with skin and hair.
The muscles are for the purpose of regulating
the width of the opening. It is plain that when
the horse is at rest he needs less air than when
walking, trotting, galloping, or drawing a load,
and so only breathes about ten or twelves times a
minute. In doing so, it is quite plain that the
opening of the nostrils need not be so wide, as
when at work he breathes three times as quickly.
The muscles are thrown into action the moment
the horse has to breathe more quickly, and you
will have noticed the large, stiff and wide nostrils
of a horse that is undergoing severe exertion.
14. — The opening of. the nostrils when the horse
is resting and breathing slowly is a mere chink or
slit, but in violent exertion the nostril opening is
quite round, and often reminds one of the mouth
of that ancient weapon, the blunderbuss.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 23
The muscles of the nostrils must be in good
tone. All muscles, when unduly rested, lose their
tone, but when only moderately used keep their
tone. Perhaps of all the muscles of the body the
muscles of the nostrils are the least likely to lose
their tone, because the horse has only to walk
quickly to be obliged to widen his nostrils and
breathe quicker. Even in illness, the fever which
so often accompanies his disease increases his rate
of breathing, and so exercises the muscles of the
nostrils. Sometimes, however, the muscles do
lose some of their tone, and then, if you take
and gallop the horse severely, the muscles vibrate
and make a fr-r-r-r-apping noise. This peculiar
noise disappears when the horse gets into regular
work, and the muscle of the nostril acquires the
requisite amount of *tone.'
When the nostrils are a shade smaller than they
ought to be and the horse is put to violent breath-
ing effort, the muscles of the nostrils render the
wall of the nostrils so stiff and rigid that the air
in passing in makes a loud blowing noise, and
clearly indicates want of nasal capacity. Such a
one is called a ^high blower.' This is always a
fault, and sometimes renders a horse worthless
for violent effort, such as hunting, racing, and
drawing extra heavy loads.
The nerve which supphes the muscles of the
nostrils with the power of movement must not
be overlooked. It comes from the brain and
leaves the interior of the skull through a canal
formed of bone, and close to the roots of the ears.
You see it in the living horse on either side as it
24 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
passes over the cheek near the root of the ear as
three or four stripes as of thick whip-cord running
along under the skin towards the nostrils. This
nerve, after leaving the bony canal at the bottom
of the skull near the root of the ears, has to pass
through a gland, which produces the saliva or
spittle. It is this gland which swells at the side
of the face when he is said to have got the * vives.'
In the horse, should this gland swell, it presses
uj^on the nerve we are speaking of, and stops its
current, and (as this nerve suppUes the lips, the
muscle which closes the eye, also the principal
muscle of the cheek), when its current is quite
stopped these muscles become paralyzed and can-
not move the parts, so that the lips hang down
and swing about like pendulums ; the eye always
remains open with a fixed stare, and the cheek
bags out and the nostrils cannot become expanded.
All this can be brought about by a draught blow-
ing on to the side of the head and giving a ^ cold '
to the gland and causing it to swell and press on
the nerve. This state of things usually lasts from
one to three weeks, or until the ' cold ' disappears.
The lesson we thus learn is this ; see that the nos-
trils expand when the horse comes to exert him-
self, and also see that his hps are not swinging
about like pendulums. Very old horses some-
times have pendulous lips from dcbihty. If you
are buying such a one give him a feed of hay,
and watch him to see if he can grasp the hay
with his lips, or if he has to push his nose into it
and seize it with his teeth. If he has to do this
don't buy liim, because he will spoil more food
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 25
than he eats, from it dropping out of his mouth
when chewing ; he will take twice the time to
feed, and he can never keep his condition. Some-
times he swings the lips about in trying to seize a
morsel, showing that some power in them re-
mains. If this be so, present a pail of water to
him and watch him drink, and see if he can purse
his lips naturally, or if they are so powerless that
he has to dip his whole muzzle into the water
nearly up to his eyes. If he cannot keep his lips
pursed and so keep up a steady drinking effort,
don't buy him.
15. — Next, hold his nostrils open and look in-
side. The pink, or it may be bluish red mem-
brane you see, ought to be covered with spots of
water like dew. There ought not to be any ulcers
or abrasions to be seen, or ^ raw ' spots of any
kind. You will always, however, find a very
small opening like a ^ punched out ' hole, but this
is natural, and no notice need be taken of it.
16. — If there be any discharge from the nostrils,
save a slight watery discharge, it may be that the
horse is suffering from a 'cold,' or he may be
' glandered. ' The color of the discharge must be
noticed, also its thickness. Then, again, you must
notice whether it comes from both nostrils or only
one. If it be from ' cold, ' it may be variously
colored, even green, as when the horse is feeding
on green food in summer. It also may be of any
thickness from wateriness to ropiness, and yet any
be from a harmless 'cold. ' If, however, it be thick
and gluey, and sink when put into cold water, or
be tinged with blood, it is most likely that the
26 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
horse is glandered, and if so, he will inoculate you
and so kill you, if you are not careful. The sus-
picion of glanders is strengthened if the discharge
is coming only from one nostril.
If you are buying a horse, see that a discharge
from the nostril is not cleaned away when your
back is turned. The muzzle should have no
streaks of discharge upon it, neither should it be
wet as if sponged.
The bony nostrils is that part of the upper por-
tion of the face between the muzzle and the eyes,
and is immediately beneath the skin.
17. — The bony nostrils may be quite straight
when the horse may be said to have a Grecian
nose ; or they may be indented or pugged ; or they
may be arched like a Eoman nose. As capacity
is so essential, it is evident that the Roman nose,
though not the most sightly, is the best. A
straight or Grecian nose is quite enough, if not too
narrow. An indented or pug nose may also be
capacious enough, but you must see that it is not
narrow. If you suspect its capacity, you must
remember the point when you come to examine
the 'wind.'
THE MOUTH.
18. — As we have already said all that is neces-
sary regarding the hps, we shall speak of the
mouth as that cavity which contains the tongue '
and the teeth. The teeth are specially regarded
in judging horses on account of their indicating
the age. Horses, like ourselves, have two sets of
teeth, one set for foalhood and a second for ma-
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
sr
ture age. The first are called ' milk' or ' tempo-
rary ' teeth, and the second set are called ' perma-
nent ' teeth. The teeth of the same mouth are
varied in position and shape, and receive different
Figure 4.
names. The front teeth being called incisors or
' nippers ; ' the back teeth being called ' grinders ; '
while between the two sets are the canine teeth,
28 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
which are called ' tusks.' As the nippers and tusks
are most exposed to our view when we open the
mouth, we pay most regard to them, so in speak-,
ing of the teeth we shall mean the ' nippers.'
17. — During the remainder of the lesson I
must often draw your attention to the diagrams
of Fig. 4 (page 27). So to begin: if you examine
and compare a temporary tooth A B with a per-
manent tooth C, you will see well marked differ-
ences in size, shape, and colo7\ If you look at
the front vieiu you will see that Avhile the milk
or temporary tooth is quite narrow near the gum
(Fig 4, B) (which is represented by a straight line
in the figure), the permanent tooth is seen to be
nearly as wide at the gum as at the upper or cut-
ting surface ; so that a milk tooth is said to have
a neck, whilst a i-yeynnanent tooth has no nech.
You will see the permanent teeth are a very little
narrower at the part next the gum than they are
at the cutting surface, or, in other words, they
have no neck. Then again, the permanent teeth
are very much larger tlmn the temporary ones,
and are not nearly so white. Then again, the
temporary teeth are quite smooth on their front
surface. Not so the permanent teeth. In the
permanent tooth you see a groove, or perhaps
two grooves, running from their cutting suiface
to the gum.
18. — Having determined which set of teeth you
are examining, let us now consider the history of
each set in its turn.
The temporary or milk teeth, are ' cut ' in the
following order: At birth, or a few days after.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING 29
two central nippers appear. At six weeks old two
other nippers appear, that is, one on each side of
the two central ones. Between the sixth and
ninth month two other nippers make their ap-
pearance, one on each side of the last ones ; and,
as no others make their appearance, these are
called the corner nippers, so that at last we have
six nippers. Of course, six above and six below.
Having thus cut the six teeth (and we are only
speaking of one jaw), the foal is as a ' yearhng '
said to have a full mouth.
19. — During this first year, as might be ex-
pected, the nippers vary in appearance ; those
cut first coming to maturity first, so that the
central teeth which have attained their maturity
at two months present a strong contrast to the
ones next them at that time, which, as we have
seen, are only a fortnight old. When the nippers
are first cut, their upper cutting surface is sharp
like a knife, and, this surface meeting the surface
of the teeth in the other jaw, wears away until
the broader part of the -tooth is come upon, and
then, instead of a sharp knife-hke edge we get a
fiat surface hke a table-top. Every nipper thus
changes, ahke in temporary and in permanent
teeth. Therefore, at nine months old, or even at
twelve months old, whilst the centre nippers and
those next to them have more or less well marked
flat table-top cutting surfaces, the corner nippers
have still shelly knife-hke upper edges.
The upper surfaces, worn fiat, will be seen to
have two distinct colors, but this we may quite
disregard in the temporary teeth, and pay atten-
30 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
tion only to those appearances which we have
already named.
It will be seen that during the first year the
nippers are nearly useless because of the uneven
surfaces of the teeth, some only being useable.
Then again the mouth is very tender during the
cutting of the teeth. During the second year the
foal is in the full enjoyment of the services of his
nipper teeth, which vary mostly in the degree in
which they are worn down. Of course, the in-
nermost ones being first cut, first come into use
and are most worn down.
These temporary nippers begin to fall out or
are shed at the age of two and a half years, or
from that to three years, and are shed in the
order in w^hich they came; first, the central ones,
and so on, so that we may say a foal has the use
of his temporary or milk nippers from one year
old to two and a half, or in other words, so far as
his nippers are concerned, he has a ' full mouth'
from one year old to two and a half.
20. — It is now time we began to study the anat-
omy of the permanent teeth in a rough and
ready way. We cannot get out of it if we wish
to be sure in telling a horse's age. Now-a-days
teachers discard pictures as worthless, and teach
by the aid of diagrams, so that you are not to
feel your vanity touched by our using diagrams
instead of pictures; for while you would find acres
of diagrams in our great Medical and Veterinary
Medical schools, you would be almost able to car-
ry on your back aU the pictures you would find.
But the two are judiciously combined sometimes;
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 31
the diagram to show the broad outlines and more
evident markings; the picture to exhibit the
detail.
Still referring to our Fig. 4, if you examine a
permanent nipper tooth, when it is extracted and
you can see the whole of it, you see that it is bent
almost in the form of a crescent, (Fig. 4, E). In
describing the tooth, we must suppose it divided
into two parts ; the visible part and the invisible
part. The visible part is all that standing above
the gums and is called the crown : the invisible
part is that imbedded in the jaw and covered by
the gums, and is called the fang. By studying
the anatomy of a nipper tooth in a rough way,
we can judge of a horse's age by the so-called
' marks' of his teeth. In Fig. 4, E, is a section
down the middle of a nipper tooth from front to
back. Let the line a a represent the Hne of the
gums, then all above this is the ' crown' and aU
below it the ' fang.' The great bulk of the tooth
is seen to be made up of the part indicated by the
number 3, and is called the dentine. This sub-
stance has a coating of a substance termed
* enamel' {E 2), for the part of the tooth above the
gum or the ' crown, ' but where the tooth gets
fixed into its bony socket in the jaw, the ' den-
tine' is not covered by ' enamel' as in the ' crown,'
but by a very thin layer of bone, JE'G, called ^ crus-
ta petrosa.' This is a long hard name, but we
have done with it. Now pay attention exclu-
sively to the crown of the tooth (the part above
the gum hne a a), and you see that the enamel
E 2, after reaching the cutting surface of the
32 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
tooth, dips into the tooth and forms a Uttle sack-
like cavity filled up with black material {E 5).
Now suppose you cut off with a saw a piece of
the cutting surface, say through the line Ell
then you see on the surface of such a section in
their order either way : —
Enamel : Dentine : Enamel : I Enamel : Dentine : Enamel.
And you must remember the ^ enamel' is white,
and the ' dentine' gray. Now see if you can make
out these in Fig. 4, D, which shows four sections
of a tooth, such as we made at ^ 1 1. Notice
the four sections of this tooth, and you see in the
top section the appearances we have described
very distinctly. You see the outer rim of white
enamel which is called encircling enamel: then a
broad circle of grciy dentine: then a small circle
of enamel called the central enamel, and this
encloses the black material in the centre. So
much for the top section, but before drawing your
attention to the three sections below, I must first
tell you that a nipper tooth gets gradually nar-
roiver from the cutting surface to the end of its
fang, and whilst at its largest, from five or six
years old to seven or eight, its upper cutting sur-
face is somewhat ovoid, with the long axis from
side to side having two sharp angles in front at
either end. From this ovoid form it gradually
becomes triangular, and it only remains to add
that the dei3ression in the tooth filled up by black
material only reaches a little way down the tooth,
and then you will be able to refer to the three
lower sections of Fig. 4, D, to see the change in
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 33
the aspects of the marks themselves and in the
form of the tooth at each surface as the teeth
wear down through age and use from a broad
ovoid form to a narrow triangular form; and, as
a consequence, in a very aged horse, the teeth do
not present a compact mass when viewed from
the front, but are more iike so many pegs with
spaces between them.
Lastly, on separating the lips of a horse in his
prime, and viewing the closed teeth from the side,
we see the large bold curve, as in Fig. 4, F ; but
as age advances and the teeth wear away, we
get successively, but of course gradually, the
curve O, then in extreme old age the angular
curve H.
21. — We saw that with the milk teeth the cen-
tral nippers came first, then the two next them —
one on either side — and finally the two corner
milk nippers, and at nine months old to a year at
most the foal had a ^ full mouth ' of nippers.
First come, first wear out; therefore the two cen-
tral milk nippers are shed at two and a half years;
the ones next these are shed at three and a half,
the corner nippers at four and a half. So that at
five years old — that is giving the corner teeth six
months to grow up to having at least a cutting if
not a grinding surface — the horse is said to have
a full mouth.
Note. — The permanent teeth push out the tem-
porary ones, in order to gain the situation for
themselves. If the work of pushing out is done
for them they come up easier and quicker. This
34: LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
gives rise to a process of ^forwarding the mouth,'
as it is called, that is extracting the corner milk
nippers of a three year old in order to hasten the
arrival of the full mouth that a four year old may
pass for a five year old. This is a gross cruelty,
on account of the work of a five year old being
expected of a horse only four. Should a perma-
nent tooth not push straight at the fang of a
milk tooth, the latter is pushed on one side, but
not pushed out, and so remains by the side of the
permanent tooth and may hinder the horse feed-
ing to some extent. Such a tooth is then called
a *wolf ' tooth. Wolf teeth are oftenest found
in front of the front grinders.
LESSON III.
THE EYE.
22.— We now come to one of the four principal
things which you hare to see is sound and all
right in buying a horse — namely, the eye. First
take a glance at both eyes in good daylight^
and compare their size. It is of the highest im-
portance that they should be both one size, be-
cause if one is less than the other it is very likely
that the lesser one has been attacked with in-
flammation which is called 'opthalmia.' Now
^ opthalmia ' is a disease that returns again and
again, and destroys the sight. One of its effects
is very often to leave the eye it has attacked
smaller than its fellow. It also leaves other evi-
dences, but these require a properly qualified
veterinarian to discover.
The color of the two eyes may not be alike and
yet the eyes may be quite sound. The color of
the eye depends upon the coloring matter in the
iris, a structure to be spoken of by and by. It
may be absent in one iris, and brown or some
other color in the other iris. The iris which con-
tains no coloring matter will be white, and the
horse is thus said to have a 'wall' eye. This
white or ' wall ' eye is as good as its f eUow-eye,
but it gives the horse an odd appearance which at
36 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
best is unsightly, but still ^wall' eyes may be
quite sound.
23. — Whilst you are looking at the eyes in broad
daylight, notice if the eyelids are all right. Some-
times they get torn with projecting nails and are
injured to such an extent that they cannot cover
and protect the eye. Also notice if the tears run
over the cheek. The tears are formed under the
upper eyelid, but deep in the orbit or socket of
the eye, and wet the surface of the eye and then
find their way to the inner corner of the eye and
thence through a canal into the nose. It occa-
sionally happens that this canal gets blocked up,
and then the tears cannot get into the nose and
so escape.
When this is the case, they trickle out of
the eye corner and over the face, and scald the
hair off. This is often a curable condition, but
very objectionable whilst it lasts. You will say
' how is it that we do not find the tears coming
out of the nostrils if they escape into the nostrils
as they do in the horse and in ourselves.' Well,
because in health — except of course when we cry
— the tears are only formed in sufficient quantity
to keep the eye moist, just as the hning of the
nose only forms sufficient watery material to
keep it moist and no more. When there is more
than suffices for the purpose we are said to have
got a *cold.'
2i. — Having examined the eyes in broad day-
light, you will have to examine them luith a can-
dle within a stable with the door shut. If you
can have a choice, choose a stable that has a win-
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
37
dow above the stable door, as it will be a further
aid ill using the candle.
25. — Before going further we shall have to
study the mechanism of the eye roughly, or we
shall not understand what to look for and expect.
Figure 5.
In Fig. 5 you find diagrams that will aid us in
demonstrating the more important parts of the
eye. When standing in front of the horse and
viewing the eye, you can see an outer circle rep-
resenting what is called the white of the eye, and
38 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
is really the outer coYering of the eyeball. Per-
haps you will understand it better if we take an
example. Suppose you take an orange, and cut
a round piece of the skin or peel out about the
size of a half-crown piece, the whole of the peel,
or skin, which remains bears the same relation to
the orange that the outer coat, or white, bears to
the eyeball; that is to say, the skin which remains
of the orange, and the white tunic of the eye in
each case invests five parts out of six perhaps of
its respective sphere.
We must make our orange do further service.
"When we have taken out the piece of the skin we
find the white rind underneath. Take a penknife
and cut a hole in this white part, the same as in
Fig. 6 J. 5; the hole we cut will represent the
opening known as the ^ pupil ' through which the
light passes into the eye. The remaining broad
rim of white rind (Fig. 5. A 2) will represent the
iris. Now if you have a watch-glass, the size of
half-a-crown, and place it over the hole from
which you at first cut the skin, the watch-glass
v^ll represent that glass-like covering of the eye
which we call the ' cornea. ' I fear we shall have
to draw rather largely on our imagination to caiTy
our illustration further. Let us see. Suppose
you have a pair of spectacles with round glasses
instead of oval ones, and you could remove one
of these glasses, and (without ruptiu-ing our arti-
ficial ' iris ') you could thrust it through the ' pu-
pil ' and place it immediately at the back of the
^ iris, 'this glass lens would then represent the
* lens ' of the eye. Just a little further stretch of
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 39
the imagination, then no more. When you took
the lens out of the spectacles (in imagination of
course) you found it surrounded by the iron, sil-
ver or gold rim which held it. You have placed
the lens in the orange as described, and now in
place of a metal rim around it, suppose we have
a sheet-like muscle encircling the lens, and that
the outer edge, all round, of this sheet-like muscle,
is fixed to the interior of the orange peel a little
further back than the lens.
We now look at Fig. 5, 7), and we find the dia-
gram of a real eye in section. Now, you will see
the parts marked in the diagram as we have de-
scribed them. First: the greater part of the
outer coat (five-sixths we said) is formed by the
ivliite tunic of the eye called the white of the eye
(Fig. 5, D 1). The remainder of the circle (our
watch-glass) is the ^ cornea ' (Fig. 6, D c), then
behind this we have the iris D I. Then behind
this again the lens D. I. with its muscle, the cil-
iary muscle {D 2).
Let us describe the remainder of the eye by the
aid of the lower diagram we are now looking at.
That very large space marked V H is filled by a
transparent jelly-like substance called the vitreous
humor. Then you see the nerve of sight as it
comes from the brain {D, o n) piercing the back
of the white outer tunic like the end of a lead-
pencil, and when it has gained the inner part of
the tunic it spreads out like a sheet of tissue
paper, and lines the back of the white tunic in-
side and is known as the ^ retina ' {DR). In this
thin filmy sheet or ^retina,' close to the optic
40 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
nerve, is a little body called the yellow spot {D
YS).
26.— So much for the eyeball. Now let us see
how it is moved. The eyeball is imbedded in the
bony skull in a socket or case, partly of bone,
called the ^ orbit,' and being very delicate, this
bony orbit is filled with fat (Fig. 5, D), in which
the eyeball is imbedded. In old horses and dur-
ing illness this fat wastes away and allows the
eyeball to sink in its socket. There are five or
six muscles (Fig. 5, m m) to move the eye. The
ends of each muscle are attached, one to the bony
socket the other to the white outer tunic. We
have only two of these muscles depicted on the
diagram, but in real life one muscle is attached
to the upper part of the eye ; one to the lower;
one to the inner or nose side; one on the outer
side. So that when the top one contracts the eye
looks upwards, and so forth. There are two
other muscles obliquely i^Aeiced for rolling the eye,
but these we will not consider. The four muscles
named are called the four straight muscles, and
when they all contract at once, the eyeball is
pressed back into the socket and the ' haw ' (Fig.
5, D), which is a thin piece of grissle also imbed-
ded in the fat and whose edge can always be seen
on the inner angle of the eye, is pressed or
squeezed out of the fat and made to project over
the eye.
27. — We must now turn our attention to the
front half of the eye as we see it in the living
animal, because it is this we have to examine
with the candle in the darkened stable. Still
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 41
referring to the diagram, let us study the parts
in their order, beginning at the transparent ^ cor-
nea' (our watch-glass).
The light has first of all to pass through the
cornea before it can pass through the hole we
call the 'pupil,' and if the cornea receives any
injury, as it often does from the whip, spots may
be left which will split the light or otherwise daze
the animal and make him shy. If, however,
these spots are on the outer margin and not op-
posite the pupil, it is plain that the light will not
be interfered with, or, in other words, the spots
are of less consequence.
Covering the outer tunic or white of the eye,
there is a very dehcate membrane we have not
mentioned, but which holds many blood vessels.
This is called the 'conjunctiva,' and is that we
see so red when the eyes are 'bloodshot.' If a
hay-seed gets into the eye this membrane red-
dens, and the eyelids sweU and are kept closed,
and are suffused with tears. It is this membrane
that is attacked in inflammation of the eye, so
that you must see that it is not unduly red. In
such horses there is a great quantity of dark col-
oring matter in it, so that the white of the eye is
partly hidden behind it. This dark appearance is
quite natural.
28. — We now come to the two most important
structures of the eye, and without we know a
•Igood deal about them we cannot judge a horse
thoroughly, but may be woefully cheated in pur-
chasing a horse where we cannot call to our aid a
skilled expert or veterinarian. The first of these
42 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGINa.
two structures is the ^ iris/ which acts hke a cur-
tain to a window, and is really the curtain of the
eye. It is a very dehcate moving muscle, flat-
tened Hke a sheet of paper and ovoid, having an
ovoid hole in its very centre (Fig. 5, A 5), wliich,
as we have seen, is the ' pupil ' of the eye through
which the light passes. Now this hole, or pupil,
varies much in size. When the eye is exposed to
a bright light it becomes very small, but in the
dark it enlarges to its widest; This is well seen
in ourselves, but better seen in the cat. Put a
cat before a window and you find the pupil
diminishmg almost to the size of a pin point.
Then this muscle acts by enlarging or diminish-
ing the 'pupil.' It does so in this way: Fig. 5,
Ay 2, represents the iris as viewed from behind.
It is seen to be made up of inner circular fibres
which radiate from these. When the pupil les-
sens, it is by the circular fibres contracting, but
when it widens it is by the radiating fibres con-
tracting. What we have to do in the darkened
stable is to see that the 'pupil' diminishes and
enlarges freely. For this purpose we cover the
eye with our hand to darken it for half a minute
or so when we expect the 'pupil' will dilate;
then we place the candle close to the back of the
hand that is covering the eye and suddenly re-
move the hand and watch the pupil contract,
which it ought to do from the glare of the light
being too much for the eye. In a darkened
stable, and a candle held away from the eye, you
will still see the pupil widenhig and narrowing,
which is, of course, a sign that it is in good order
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 43
and capable of acting as a curtain and keeping
out bright glare, which dazes the animal. It
widens and admits all light possible when there
is not much light to spare. When the pupil is
very widely open it gives the eye a glassy appear-
ance, and should this condition be permanent, as
you will have seen it, no doubt, the disease called
Amaurosis, gutta serena, or glass-eye is present,
and the eye is worthless. It may be from disease
of the brain.
Instead of being fixedly open, the pupil may be
fixed and quite immoveable and closed, or nearly
so. This serious flaw arises in this way. When
violent inflammation seizes the eye and attacks
the ' iris, ' a gluey discharge may occur from the
surfaces of the ^iris,' and the back surface of the
^ iris ' may then become stuck to the fore part of
the ' lens ' (see Fig. 5, J, I).
If you refer to the diagram of the iris (Fig. 5,
A), you wiU see two or three little black bodies
hanging down (Fig. 5, A 4), swinging from the
roof of the ^ pupil.' These are quite natural, and
appear in the eyes of many if not most horses.
We now come to the lens, which we repre-
sented by taking out a glass from a pair of spec-
tacles. This lens (Fig. 5, D, I) is really placed
close behind the ^ iris ' or curtain, and is for the
purpose of focusing the rays of light so that they
form images on the thin membrane we have be-
fore spoken of, called the 'retina.' Get a pair of
spectacles, or a magnifying lens, and hold it in
your right hand, and with it throw a bright light
from a window, or a candle, or gas jet on to the
44 LESSONS IN HOKSE JUDGING.
back of your other hand. Now move the lens
gentlj to and fro, and you will see a beautiful
little image of the window frame, gas jet, or
candle-light (whichever you are using) on the
back of your hand. Now you have got this per-
fect image by moving the lens backwards and
forwards between your hand and the light, and
you will have found that correct distance is
everything; that is to say, had you held the lens
an inch nearer or an inch further off, you would
not have got a sharp, clear image. Now look at
Fig. 5, Z), and you will see that behind the ^ lens '
there is the V H, or space filled with vitreous
humor, and in front of it there is the 'iris,' so
that it is quite evident that the ' lens ' of the eye
cannot be moved backwards and forwards, an
inch forward now, an inch backward then, as
you have done in your experiment, because the
whole eye is only about an inch from front to
back, so that the focusing of the image on the
'retina' by the 'lens' must be accomphshed in
another way altogether, and in this way the
shape of the ' lens ' itself is altered.
29. — We must say a few words about the con-
struction of the ' lens ' of the eye, or you will not
luiderstand what is meant by a cataract, so that
after we have seen how the ' lens ' is made we can
see how it alters its shape in focusing. Turning
to the diagram Fig. 5, D I, you see that the lens
of the eye can be quite well represented by placing
two ordinary old-fashioned watch-glasses together
at their edges. Now, if you could fill the cavity
you thus form with stiff but very transparent
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 45
jelly, you would thus get a rough representation
of the lens of the eye. Now, m the ' lens ' of the
eye, our two watch-glasses are represented by a
very delicately thin pliable membrane called the
'capsule' of the lens, and so the whole 'lens'
being firm, but pliable, can be altered in shape by
the ' ciliary muscle, ' (Fig. 6, D 2) which is, as we
have seen, attached around its margin, so that
when this muscle drags the lens backwards against
the stiff ' vitreous humour, ' the foremost half of
the capsule of the lens (our foremost watch-glass)
is bent like a bow that is having its string pulled
in the act of shooting, and the lens is thus altered
in its convexity from being shaped like B to
being shaped like (7, Fig. 5.
The lens of the eye is quite clear and trans-
parent like glass, when in health; but from acci-
dent, disease, or old age, it may become opaque
and milky, and then the eye is said to have a
'cataract.' 'Cataract' may occur from a horse
falling on his head whilst hunting, or in rearing
and falling back and knocking the head violently
against the ground or by knocking the head vio-
lently against the top of a doorway — any violent
blow on the head, in fact. It does so by rupturing
the capsule of the lens (one of our watch-glasses)
and letting in the ' watery humor ' which occu-
pies the front chamber of the eye, and which is
marked x x x x in our diagram (Fig. 5, D).
When the 'watery humor' gets into the sub-
stance of the ' lens ' through a rent in the capsule,
the 'lens' immediately begins to swell and be-
come milky and opaque, and in a day or two the
4:6 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
whole lens is swollen and white like milk. Dis-
ease causes 'cataract,' notably that disease in
which a patient passes quantities of sugar with
his water. Old age produces 'cataract,' by the
lens shrinking and altering its proper structure.
When the ' cataract ' is complete, that is to say,
when the whole lens is affected, you see the milky
white lens through the pupil, or in other words,
the opening called the pupil, instead of being
black as midnight, has a chalky or white appear-
ance.
But the 'cataract' may not be complete; that
is, only part of the 'lens' may be white and
opaque. A 'cataract' may be no larger than a
pin's head, and may be situated in any part of
the 'lens.'
30. — To test the lens we use our lighted candle
in our darkened stable. The test is called the
'catoptric test,' and is very easily applied. You
take the candle and place it a little in front of the
eye, a few inches from it, when you see three
images of the candle-light; one upon the surface
of the 'cornea,' one upon the front capsule of the
'lens,' (our front watch-glass,) and the third still
further back, upon the hindmost capsule of the
lens, (our hindmost watch-glass). Now, after
you have distinctly found these three images,
notice that the tiuo front ones are upright like
the candle-flame, but the hindmost image is iip-
side doivn. After quite making out this fact,
gently move your light from side to side, and
you will see that while the two front upright
images move in the same direction as the candle.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 47
the hindmost one, which is turned upside down,
moves in the contrary way to the candle. It is
therefore evident that if the ^ lens ' is opaque and
milky you cannot see the hindmost or inverted
image, but you will only see the two foremost
upright images.
The cataract, as we have seen, may not involve
the whole lens, but may be just a little speck in
any part of it. Of course, if this speck be
towards the margin it may not split the light
and so be a detriment, but we never can tell how
long a small speck of cataract will remain small.
With practice you can detect these small specks
by the ^catoptric test,' but they are far more
easily detected with a little round mirror having
a little hole in its centre for you to look through,
which forms the reflecting part of every opthal-
moscope. Any one can us^ this very simple con-
trivance by holding it to his eye and reflecting
the rays of a candle into the eye — the candle
being held by the side of the head by some one
else.
We have seen that the ^ iris ' from inflamma-
tion may become stuck to the lens and so fixed.
But the ' iris ' being a moving muscle, sometimes
drags and tears itself away, and in so liberating
itself, leaves bits of its structure upon the lens,
which will also appear like small cataracts. In
doing so it sometimes tears the capsule and lets
in the watery humor, and so causes cataract.
This ends our lesson on the eye. It only re-
mains for me to advise close attention to what
has been said, and to advise the learner to take
48 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
every opportunity of verifying his knowledge
and noticing the many infirmities he ^vill meet
with, and studying them by the broad hght
which we have here attempted to shed upon the
subject. There are other methods of thoroughly
examining the eye, but these are only of use to
experts, surgeons, and veterinary surgeons, who
are devoting their hves to such subjects.
Caution. — Do not mistake the optic nerve which
can be seen through the pupil of the horse for a
cataract, but which is distinguished by the ^ca-
toptric test.'
Note, — The whole retina Fig. 5, D R, receives
images except the end of the optic nerve itself.
To prove this close your left eye by placing your
left hand over it, then hold Fig. 5 at arm's length
and look fixedly at the cross, and you see the
black spot as well. Now, still looking at the
cross, move it gently towards you, and as it ap-
proaches your face the black spot for a time
ceases to be seen. The distance is generally
seven or eight inches from the face.
LESSON lY.
FACE AND HEAD.
31. — Having passed in review the nostrils,
mouth, and eye, we must now review the face
and head. We shall find that the face, as seen
from the front, is of paramount importance in
judging a horse, because the old saying, ^ strength
goes in at the mouth,' is as true to-day as it ever
was. The saying, of course, has reference to the
quantity and quality of food that is consumed.
Now, no matter how much food is swallowed,
unless it be of proper quality and so prepared by
mastication or otherwise that the stomach can,
in its turn, fm?ther advantageously dispose of it,
strength will not follow. In order that large
quantities of well masticated food may be swal-
lowed, the back teeth, or ^grinders,' must have
the following properties: they must have large,
flat, and regular masticating surfaces.
But you will say, what has all this got to do
with the front aspect of the face ? The reply is, a
great deal, but you are not asked to take this
bare assertion on trust. It is of the highest im-
portance that you should understand the con-
ditions requisite for the ' grinders ' to have large,
flat, and regular masticating surfaces. But you
50
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
will have to follow the description, as you did in
the case of the eye, before you can understand.
The molar teeth or grinders (Fig. 6, -4 1 1) are
very large cubical blocks of bone which have to
crush and grind down hard tough food, such as
Figure 6.
beans, oats and hay, and therefore require power-
ful agents in the form of huge muscles to work
them; so that, you see, where you have such
large blocks and such large powers to move
them, you must have room or space sufficient
for both. But it so happens that lightness is also
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 51
required, and greatest lightness implies least ma-
terial, and with least material it must be dis-
posed or shaped according to well-known geo-
metrical laws; if you require the three conditions
in one, namely, size, strength, and lightness, these
geometrical laws are carried out at the expense of
room or space if not in one direction, in another.
If you refer to Fig. 6, A, you will see a perfect
model of hghtness and strength. It is the dia-
gramatic representation of a section of a horse's
head and jaws carried from above downwards
across the head, somewhat below the eyes. The
four pieces marked 1 1 1 1, represent four molar
teeth or grinders, two in the upper and two in
the lower jaw. They have all flat table-top
grinding surfaces, the top one meeting a cor-
responding bottom one. Those of the lower jaw
are set in soUd bone, which is rendered light by
being shaped like the letter V, that is to say,
having two branches meeting below. The front
part in our diagram being removed, we can only
see the section of the two parts of the lower jaw
each holding a molar. Above the upper jaw are
the large passages through which the air passes
A X X, and are nearly hoUow and form the back
part of the bony nostrils, but the cavities Y Y
are only there to aUow of the bone being as light
as possible, and as cavities are quite worthless.
The upper jaw forms an arch, having substantial
buttresses in the molar teeth and their bony
sockets, and whose span is of gigantic strength
and extremely light from its hollow construc-
tion.
52 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
If you notice a horse eating, you will see that
the lower jaw is pressed upwards against the
ui3j)er jaw, and moves from side to side. If the
movement of the lower jaw on the upper one
were a simple up and down movement, then the
muscles could be perpendicularly placed and their
bulk only allowed for, but seeing that the lower
jaw has to be moved from side to side, the mus-
cles have to be obliquely placed and so neces-
sitates the branches of the jaw being wide apart
at their hindmost part. But the lower grinders
are somewhat narrower than the upper and so
allow greater range of motion in grinding, so
that breadth of the upper jaw is essential as
well for allowing free masticating power, as for
power to breathe freely through wide enough
openings.
32.-^This then necessitates width between the
eyes, and width between the lower jaws. In the
figure illustrating this lesson you will find three
diagrams, B, C, D, representing front face views
of three degrees of width. What has been said
will explain why narrow-faced horses are often
weakly, with narrow chests and long legs, and
disposed to have ^ thrushes ' in the ' frogs ' of
their fore feet, and are also prone to diarrhoea.
It would be beyond the province of this little
book to enter into a lengthened explanation
of these coincidences and shorter exj^lanations
would not suffice.
33. — The side face should be deep for the same
reasons that the front face between the eyes
should be broad, that is, for roomy nostrils
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 53
above and for the efficient setting of the mass-
ive grinders.
3:1:. — Length of head is not of such importance.
It cannot well be too short so far as the chief
requisites are concerned. When we find very-
narrow faces, we frequently find length of face
great.
35.— The so-called forehead of a horse is the
space bounded below by a straight line drawn be-
tween the eyes, above by roots of the hair of the
forelock, and at the sides by the large muscles
which lift the lower against the upper one. The
breadth of the forehead depends upon the
breadth between the eyes and the size of these
muscles. It is almost impossible to judge the
size of the brain in the living horse by breadth of
forehead. Size of brain is no index of character
in either horse or man. In either case, we can
only judge of a brain by the quality and quantity
of the thought, and so forth, it produces, so that
we need not dwell further on the physical aspects
of the head.
36. — The eyes should be as large as possible,
and not be obliquely set in the face as in the Chi-
nese. In long, narrow-faced horses we some-
times find this obliquity of the eyes, and this
is an additional flaw.
37. — The white of the eye should not be too
conspicuous. When too conspicuous it gives to
both man and horse a wild stare, and is an almost
unfailing sign of mental aberrations, which lead
to acts which we characterise as vice, such as
biting, kicking, &c. The white of the eye is
64 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
seen, not on account of there being more of it
than usual, but on account of the eyehds being
wider apart. This condition is known to doctors
as the insane eye, and is seen by the least observ-
ant by attending Divine worship in any lunatic
asylum chapel and sitting near the parson. This
condition has been so connected with viciousness
in the horse, that in Yorkshire it is a common
expression among horsemen, ''He shows too
much of the white of his eye for my money." I
would, however, guard you against condemning
all horses with this form of eye as vicious, but
have a special warranty against vice in purchas-
ing one, and at all times avoid such when you
conveniently can.
38. — The space between the lower jaws near
the top of the neck cannot be too wide, for
reasons we have before seen. There is also
another reason why the branches of the lower
jaw should be wide apart. The top of the wind-
pipe ends in the speaking box called the 'larynx.'
It is much larger than the remainder of the
windpipe, and in men can be seen and felt as a
large hard prominence which moves up and
down when we swallow. It is also called
pomnm Adami, or Adam's apple. When the
nose is held in towards the neck by the bearing-
rein being over tight, this deUcate box, which is
made up of pieces of hard cartilage, moved by
numerous deUcate muscles, gets pressed out of
shape and causes roaring, or grunting, or trum-
peting.
This box is quite between the branches of the
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 65
jaw in most positions of the head, and is a most
dehcately organiezd structure, and therefore soon
thrown out of order, causing the above noises in
moving. Now there is a disease called the Stran-
gles affecting young horses, in which a gathering
or abscess takes place in the space between the
jaws, and therefore close to this delicate box, the
'larynx.' During the time the abscess is ripen-
ing there is necessarily great inflammation about
this box, and if it lasts unduly long by being
treated by so-called 'home' remedies, or worse
still by the farrier, the inflammation is apt to
injure the delicate httle muscles of which the
box is partly composed, and leave the animal a
' roarer.'
39. — All badly treated gatherings or abscesses
are apt to leave behind them two evidences of
their former presence, viz: thickening of the skin
and parts beneath, and ragged scars. Therefore,
always look for these between the jaws of a
horse. The skin in this situation should be fine,
the hair silky, and you ought to be able to bury
your stretched out hand, laid lengthwise back
uppermost, in this space: or, in other words, see
that the space between the jaws be not flush with
the lower borders of the jaw.
40. — The ears, forming part of the head, may
here be noticed. They ought not to be too large,
indeed they can hardly be too small. They vary
in shape shghtly, but very httle.
LESSON V.
THE KECK.
The neck of the horse may be roughly stated
to be an oblong, having the bones of the neck or
cervical vertebrse as a diagonal; thus, (Fig. 7, A).
We have thus a rough idea of its fundamental
structure, and shall be able further to discuss the
subject intelligibly. The column of bones is rep-
resented by the diagonal that divides the neck
above and below into two triangles, the upper
one being the larger and more clearly defined.
On referring to Diagram B it will be seen that
this upper triangle contains the great cervical
hgament which supports the great overhanging
mass formed by the head and neck. It will no
doubt often have occurred to non-anatomists, as
a matter of wonder, how such a weighty over-
hanging mass as that of the head and neck gets
supported, and how it is kept from dropping
down and dangling between the fore legs. It
will be seen on reference to Fig. 7 B that there is
a ligament occup}ang the upper triangle of the
neck which has tivo distinct forms, a cordiform or
funicular portion. 111, and a lamellary portion,
2 2 2 2. The former is continuous, with the liga-
ment running along the upper ends of the spines
of the vertebral column of the back and loins,
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
67
and then stretches along the upper part of the
triangular space of the neck and gets inserted to
Figure 7.
the summit of the head at the back; whilst the
other portion spreads from above downwards like
58 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
a fan and in reality is given off from the upper
or cordiform portion. This fanhke portion has
six shps, which get inserted to the spines of the
last six of the bones of the neck.
In the first lesson we saw that muscle was an
active contractile tissue tvhich could become ex-
hausted, so that if the neck and head were sup-
ported by muscles, after a certain time, the head
and neck would drop. This is never the case, be-
cause they are supported by the ligament we
have been describing, which is made up of a con-
gregation of elastic fibres which are devoid of
feehng, and therefore are never tired and are
quite as passive as so much india rubber, that is,
the ligament stretches when anything stretches
it and recoils when the stretching force is re-
moved.
The next thing I must direct your attention to
is that the cordiform or upper part of the liga-
ment is broad at the top, and that the skin of the
neck is separated from it by a quantity of fat im-
bedded in fibrous partitions. The amount of fat
placed upon this ligament varies greatly. In the
clean, light neck of the hunting gelding this fat
is barely represented, whilst in low-bred animals,
in stallions, and in those which have been cas-
trated, after two years of age or after the procre-
ative organs have assumed their functional activ-
ity, this fat and fibrous tissue lying along the
cordiform tendon on the upper surface of the
neck is of considerable thickness and forms a
'crest.' It is of course best seen in stallions, and
gives their neck its peculiar shape. In the
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 69
heavy, soft cart horses which are largely im-
ported into Great Britain from Belgium it is also
a prominent feature. Some colts are purposely
left till two years old before castration, on pur-
pose to develop this fat and ^give them a neck,'
as it is called. The quantity of this fibro-fatty
substance in the neck principally, but not en-
tirely, makes the difference between a gross
^fleshy' neck, and a fine clean neck, and when
it is stated that there is no strength in this fibro-
fatty mass, it need hardly be added that a clean,
light muscular neck is as powerful as a gross,
thick, heavy neck, which is largely made so by
this stored up fat; only, of course, the possessor
of the latter can throw more weight into a collar,
and is so far preferable for draught purposes.
Besides judging of the quantity of this fibro-fatty
structure by the sight, you can grasp the top of
the neck, feel its thickness, and shake it from
side to side.
41. — On each side of this ligament there are
powerful muscles which fill up this upper trian-
gular space and get attached to the bones of the
neck, especially to the last five of these. We
have seen that the bones of the spinal column
have little movement individually, but collect-
ively the column has considerable movement,
which we likened to the wriggling of an eel.
There are very small muscles which stretch from
every bone of the column to the next bone in
front of it, and are said to ' clothe ' the spinal
column. These muscles of themselves cause the
wriggling movement of the column. The col-
60 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
umn, however, is acted upon by other muscles
than those Httle ones stretched from bone to
bone. These muscles are among the largest and
most powerful muscles of the body, and bend the
bones of the neck very much upwards, as in
taking hay out of racks placed very high, or
very much downwards, as in grazing. The part
of the vertebral column forming the loins is also
much bent in galloping and leaping, but the
most movement is in the column forming the
tail.
Shortly reviewing what we have said regard-
ing the movements of the back -bone or vertebral
column we have found that it can move itself ,
and that it can he moved. That in moving itself
it does so by the little muscles which clothe it,
and that the amount of this movement only
amounts to what we have, somewhat inele-
gantly, termed a wriggle. That in being moved
by nmscles from without, the motion is far more
extensive. Lastly, we found that there was
most movement in the tail, the next in the neck,
and then in the loins, so that we have only to
add that there is next to no movement in the
back, and as has been mentioned, the bones of
the croup are glued together and quite immov-
able.
Having said enough for the present about the
'back-bone' or 'vertebral column' in general, I
wish now to fix your attention upon that portion
of it, made up of seven bones, forming the neck.
In the fore part of this lesson we saw that the
bones of the neck ran diagonally, from below up-
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING 61
wards and forwards, and wo liavo sinco seen that
whether it is straight or curved depends upon the
action or inaction of certain muscles. When the
horse is standing quietly at rest the elastic liga-
ment simply suspends the head and neck, and in
doing so the bones of the neck are nearly
straight, having only the faintest possible curve,
or in other words, the neck at rest is at its
straightest. When the neck is not at rest, the
bones of the neck will be bent according to the
attitude of the horse, and, as we have seen, the
muscles filling the upper triangle, being inserted
into the hindmost bones of the neck, are most
concerned in altering its shape.
Eeferring to Fig. 7, B, we find that the hind-
most side of the upper triangle depicted in Fig. 7,
A, depends for its depth upon the length of the
' spines ' of the bones of the vertebral column of
the foremost part of the back. This part, horse-
men know as the ^withers.' It therefore follows
that the higher the withers the greater the power
of raising and bending upwards and backwards
the bones of the neck, or in other words, the
higher the withers the greater the poiver of hold-
ing up the head and neck. So that with high
withers, that is, with a deep triangle, the large
muscles of this region not only act with the least
expenditure of power, but the efficiency of space
from above downwards enables large muscles to
occupy this region without making the neck
thick, because great and powerful muscles can
be stowed away in a space which though narrow
is very deep; whereas for the same bulk, and as
62 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
we have seen strength, to be stowed away in a
less triangle, the space laterally has to be en-
croached upon. So that given the same weight
of head, and strength and length of neck, the
higher the withers the thinner from side to side
will be the neck, hence we find as a general thing
that horses with low withers have more, so-caUed,
fleshy necks than those with high withers, be-
cause these muscles are stowed and have to act
at a greater disadvantage.
THE NECK AND HEAD.
42. — We have next to consider the neck and
head together as weights and as f ulcrums, also as
power. The head as a whole may be regarded as
a solid mass attached to the foremost part of the
neck at a variable angle. The upper and fore-
most part of the bones of the neck meets the
head at its very top, (Fig. Y, B) that barely two
inches of the head is above the bony juncture of
the head and neck.
By this arrangement we get a lever of the first
order which moves the head as a rigid bar up and
down, the neck being fixed and acting as a ful-
crum. The upper arm of the lever, we have said,
is about two inches in length only, and so allows
it, whilst moving through very little space itself,
to move through great space the lower and longer
arm of the lever made up at the head generally.
The head has a side to side movement also, but
we shall not stop to consider it in any way be-
cause we think our ends may be gained without
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 63
this. Again reminding you of what was said
about the superior triangle of the neck being
occupied by muscles, which get attached to the
last five bones of the neck, and of course when
acting draw these bones upwards and backwards,
there are positions, as for example, when the
horse during the act of leaping a height is in a
rearing attiude, and poising the body the instant
before taking the spring, when the neck has to be
drawn upwards and backwards, and the muzzle
drawn well in to the neck, in order that the face
may be conveniently situated for the animal to
look straight down upon the object to be leaped
over. In such a case the neck assumes the most
marked double curve. The hindmost curve is
first produced in the way we have mentioned,
and the bones of it being fixed allows the part to
become a fulcrum for the muscles acting at the
lower side of the neck to draw the muzzle back-
wards. We have next the neck in one long
curve, and the head extended as when the horse
is feeding out of a very high hay rack. Next we
have the neck straight and the head extended, as
in the race-horse during the hottest part of the
race nearing the winning post, and, as we have
seen, the neck and head may be at rest and
almost at right angles.
In our first lesson we saw that muscles, when
in the full enjoyment of their highest functions,
were said to be in tone. We have also seen in
this lesson that muscles alter the curve of the
vertebral column, more especially those parts of
it forming the neck and the tail, so that it follows
64 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
as a corollary that if the muscles of the neck
habitually act in one jDosition more than in any
other position, the neck will become more and
more moulded into that position. Hence we see
the seasoned carriage-horse with powerful highly
developed muscles of the neck, which gives to his
neck a more massive appearance with its double
curve. The bearing rein, judiciously apphed,
effects this by compeUing the horse to keep his
head up and his nose in, which no doubt is tiring
at first, till the muscles of the neck get into con-
dition; just as in the case of the raw recruit who
has to keep his head up, shoulders well back, and
the palm of the hand open to the front. The
muscles in six weeks or less get into tone, and
there is an end to pain from restraint.
The bearing rein does this good, it causes de-
velopment of the muscles of the neck, and enables
greater weight and strength to be thrown into
the collar. Consequently it enables those who
drive pairs to have both breeding and substance.
In concluding this lesson, we have just to re-
mind the reader thafthe neck has two sources of
bulk, namely, the fibro-fatty mass which we have
before discussed, and the forced development of
the muscles. So that we may have both these
conditions in the same neck, or one only.
We shall have more to say about the head and
neck in our next lesson.
LESSON VI.
THE FORE EXTREMITY.
The general student may not know what is
meant by the fore extremity, so I shall have to ex-
plain it. Our arms and hands are called our upper
extremities, our legs and feet our lower extremi-
ties. The words upper and lower being used on
account of our upright position of body. Quad-
rupeds having horizontally placed bodies are said
to have fore and hind extremities, corresponding
to our upper and lower ones.
43. — The horse's fore extremities are made up
of all three kinds of bones, long, flat, and irregu-
lar. The topmost bone is a flat bone, and the
only flat bone, and is called the ^scapula' or
'shoulder-blade.' All the other bones are of the
long kind, except the little bones in the so-called
'knee' joint, we have before alluded to in para-
graph 11, and one or two little bones we shall
afterwards speak of.
The bones of the fore extremities are of various
lengths, and from the top of the arm bone down
5 to the foot they gradually lessen in thickness.
Also please to notice that the so-caUed 'knee'
joint is a misnomer, as it is the part correspond-
ing to our wrist joint, and has the same number
66 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
Figure 8.
ma
BS9i
Fore extremity of horse.
o. Scapula, or shoulder blado.
b. Humerus, or arm bone.
c. Elbow.
e. Ulna.
d. Radius, or bono of forearm.
/. Carpus, or knee (wrist.)
Upper extremity of man.
g. Metacarpal bones.
12 3. Phalanges.
h 1. First phalanx or sufTracrinis.
2 Second *' or corontd.
3 Third " or pedal.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 6Y
of bones in it and of the same shape nearly, but
larger. From our wrist joint five lengths of bone
proceed, but in the horse, who is a solipede, only
one length proceeds. This one length faithfully
represents our middle finger from the wrist joint
to the tip covered by the nail. Now, beginning
at the shoulder-blade and going downwards, let
us compare our extremity with its homologue, as
anatomists call it, in the horse. You are not to
be impatient and question the use of it, until you
have patiently waded through what I have got to
tell you, and then say whether it is of use. The
two extremities are given in Fig. 8.
4A. — The scapulae of man and horse are both
flat bones and both triangular bones, with a very
strong ridge of bone running down their middle
or nearly down their middle. This ridge of bone
serves many purposes. First it strengthens the
bone without adding materially to its bulk, just
as the engineer shapes his iron which has to
bridge across a space and to bear great weight,
and have as httle weight as possible. Second,
you notice this 'spine,' as it is called, is less in
proportion in the horse than it is in man, and
that in the horse it is not continued into a long,
strong process. The reason of this difference is
that the horse only uses his fore extremities to
walk with; he has no 'collar' bone or 'clavicle,'
as it is called by anatomists. Now the collar
bone is a long bone at the top of our chests in
front, shaped like the old-fashioned letter s, like
this /, and it has one end placed against the top
and side of the breast bone, but its other end
68 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
meets the extreme tip of this spine of the scapula
and props the shoulders back, and so keeps our
shoulders well back at all times. Were it not for
this bone, when, in using our arms, we stretched
them forward, there would be nothing to prevent
our two shoulders almost meeting in front. It is
the relative length of this bone that determines
the appearance of our shoulders. If growing
children are allowed to sit with their shoulders
huddled up, the two ends of this bone are unduly
pressed upon, and the double curve is increased
and the collar bone more bent, and, as a conse-
quence, more shortened, and the shoulder blades,
not being duly propped back, stick out behind,
and the child grows up ^ round shouldered. ' It is
owing to the slightly greater length of this bone
which gives Frenchwomen their more graceful
shoulders and chest. Lions, tigers, cats, &c.,
use their fore extremities for seizing things and
holding them, so that they have clavicles or collar
bones Uke men and women. A third use of this
' spine ' of the scapula is that it acts as a f ulciTim
or fixed point for muscles, also as a place for in-
sertion for tendons.
45. — The next bone, called the 'humerus' or
arm bone, will be seen to be exactly alike in both
cases, only it is relatively very much longer in
man. In both it is a powerful bone, but espe-
cially so in the horse. Extremely large muscles
clothe it.
46. — The next two bones are the radius and
ulna. In man, both these bones are continued
from the elbow joint to the wrist as separate
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 69
bones, but you will notice that in the horse the
ulna, after helping the radius to form the elbow
joint, coalesces with the radius, so that the two
in a full grown horse look like one bone. This
being so, the ulna is said to be rudimentary in the
horse.
47. — The bones of the carpus are nearly alike in
both, only, of course, larger in the horse. We
shall call this the knee as usual, although, as you
see, it is the wrist.
48. — There are five metacarpal bones in our
hands, but the horse has only one which is fairly
represented by the metacarpal bone belonging to
our middle finger. You see two small metacarpal
bones in the horse, but these are dwarfed and
only rudimentary, and in the very aged, stuck to
the larger ' metacarpal. ' Notice, though, that the
tops of all three articulate with the bones above
them, i. e., with the lower bones of the ^carpus'
or *knee.'
49. — The remaining bones explain themselves
almost. Taking the bone in our middle finger
from the knuckle to the first joint, we find it cor-
responding in everything but size to the long
pastern bone of the horse.
50. — The next bone to this again corresponds
with our next bone in the middle finger, but is
relatively very much shorter and broader.
51. — The last bone is very highly developed in
the horse, and is called the pedal or ' coffin ' bone.
In ourselves it is little more than rudimentary, on
account of its not being called upon as a lowest
point to bear the weight of our body. We can
YO LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
very distinctly see the resemblance it has to the
same bone in the horse in the skeletons of those
who, during life, used their fingers in hard, heavy
toil.
52. — The next three bones are sessamoid bones,
and are very specially more related with the long
tendons which stretch from the back of the knee
to the foot.
So much for the ' bars ' of our levers which we
saw were in the animal, the bones. Now for the
powers of the animal levers which we saw were
the muscles with their tendons.
53. — On referring to Fig. 8, E, it will be seen
that we have the bones of the fore extremity hid-
den or clothed by their muscles. This, however,
is a picture or a faithful representation of the
parts as they are in reality, and as the origins
(fixed points) of the muscles and thek insertions
(moveable points) are very numerous, it will be
useless to describe the origin and insertion of
each muscle, but by the aid of diagrams we can
see these living levers to greater advantage. I
Avill, however, draw your special attention to two
things. First, you ought to get a mental picture
of this Fig. 8, E, in order that you may be able to
recognize it as seen in the hving horse, covered,
however, by the skin. Secondly, please to notice
that all the parts from just above the the ' knee '
are made up of the bellies or contracting parts of
the muscles with hardly any visible tendon, but
that from just above the knee to the foot all is
tendon and bone together, not a single belli/ of
muscle. Perhaps there is a third point you had
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 71
better notice, namely, that of the bulky fleshy
part, the greatest bulk is at the back of the
shoulder blade and arm bone, the shoulder get-
ting more and more bulky as it descends. Look
steadily first at the column of bones unclothed
until you can see them in your mind's eye
through their fleshy clothing, because I give you
warning that we are now going to represent all
we have got to say further by straight, bare lines
only.
54. — Before going any further, we must revert
to the dry subject of levers. Let me impress
upon you this universal law, that power and
speed are always related to each other, but that
this relation is always antagonistic. Expressed
in other words it is this, 'if you gain power you
lose speed,' which is only saying, of course, that
'if you gain speed you lose power.' This uni-
versal law does a great deal for us by acting as a
wholesome check to our enterprise. Were it not
for this antagonism we should build ships that
would convey cities instead of their present mod-
est loads, and these would run at speed calcu-
lated by seconds instead of days and weeks and
so forth. This law has existed, and wiU exist,
through all time. We, however, try to xmite the
two things as closely as possible ; the ' Great
Eastern' steamship for example. This artificial
combination is nowhere more striven after than
in our breed of horses, the English hunter for
example.
55. — We shall make this antagonism between
power and speed do us good service here. It
72 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
enables us to include every horse under the sun
under three logical divisions, namely :
1. — Horses of Speed, e.g. Racehorses.
2. — Horses of Power, e.g. Draughthorses.
3. — Horses of Power and Speed, e.g. Hunters.
It is apparent that the first two, being ex-
tremes, will be in the minority, because most of
our wants require a combination of power and
speed.
56. — We must just allude to one other point,
and that is the rhythm of movement. Let us
take a simple movement, such as walkmg, and
see what the fore extremities do and are down to
in this rhythm. It will be seen on reference to
Fig. 9, A^ that an attempt has been made to
represent this rhythm by a diagram which really
represents two rhythms. It will be seen that
either rhythm is included in a parallelogram
made up of two equal triangles, a' a" a'" and
a" h" h'". They are equal because they are on
the same base, a'" h'", and between the same
parallels a' h" , a'" U".
It will be seen that a rhythm is begun when
the foot is on the ground, as at h'", and com-
pleted when the foot reaches the ground, as at
a'", and the limb has gained the same relation to
the body (represented by the arrow), as at a' a'" .
Take the parallelogram a' a" h'" a'", then it will
be seen that the leg is flexed and extended within
the triangle a'" a" h"\ and that the body swings
forward and brings the leg from position a" a'" to
a' a'" , and this movement is accomplished within
the triangle a' a" a" . It is needless to remind
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
73
the reader that in the walk one fore foot is on the
ground when tlie other is off it, therefore the fel-
low leg is hearing the body's weight whilst the
foot is being put from h'" to a'''.
In passing forward the foot from h'" to a'" the
leg is
1.— Flexed.
2. — Dragged forward whilst flexed.
3. — Then extended.
Now we saw that the spinal column had its own
intrinsic muscles by which it moved itself, and
Figure 9.
we saw that this movement was a wriggle, and
we also saw that it was moved by muscles from
without itself, or extrinsic muscles. So it is with
the limbs, they can flex and extend themselves,
but they require muscles which have their fixed
points elsewhere to move them bodily onwards.
Now, referring to Fig. 9, B, we find the limb
flexed as represented by the right hand figure.
74 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
After being so flexed, were it not to be dragged
forward by a muscle from without, but simply to
again extend itself instead of alighting at a'" it
would drop somewhere on the line between
a'" and h'" . In order to be carried from the
flexed position to the position o!' a'" ^ we find
a long, tape-shaped muscle moves it forward
through the distance we have named, and that j
this muscle has the hones of the neck and top^
of the head for a fixed point or fidcrum. This
is a very important point for you to remember.
A fulcrum must be a fixed point, therefore when
this niuscle is acting, the neck must be fixed be-
cause this muscle has most extensive origin from
it. Its name is ' Levator Humeri,' or in English,
hfter of the arm. This is a misnomer, because
the muscle does not hft the arm, but hfts the
whole shoulder bodily upwards and forwards ac-
cording as the neck is situated. This * levator
humeri ' arises from the vertex of the head and
from the foremost four bones of the neck, also
through a strong elastic medium it arises from
the elastic ligament of the neck. After this ex-
tensive origin, it gets a most extensive insertion
to the shoidder as follows; the spine of the
scapula or shoulder blade, the point of the
shoulder, the strong outer ridge at the top of
the arm bone and to the arm bone at another
point near its lower end. <
As the free and extensive movement of the
shoulder mainly depends upon this muscle, and
the longer the belly of a muscle the greater the
muscle's capabihty for contraction, and further,
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 75
as this muscle is co-extensive with the neck, it
follows that the longer the neck the more exten-
sive the shoulder movement. Again, as this mus-
cle is attached to and runs parallel with the
bones of the neck, and its fibres are also parallel
with the bones of the neck, it follows that the
shoulder will he dragged bodily along the line
of the hones of the neck. Therefore, a horse
having his head well up will necessarily hft his
shoulders bodily upwards and forwards, whilst
he will only drag his shoulder forwards whilst
Figure 9.
B
galloping with his neck and head nearer to the
ground.
Never forget that the shoulder is always
dragged hodily in the line of the neck. For
high action then the first requisite is that the
head and neck be held well up or the shoulder
will not be lifted well up, and so forth.
57. — Flexion and extension take place by
means of the muscles belonging to the limb
and not from muscles having their origin else-
76 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
where. By referring to Fig. 9, B, we see a
fore limb in extension, and see also that all the
powers (p) are applied in front of the limb. In
flexion we see Fig. 9, B, that all the powers are
applied at the hack of the hmb. Looking at
either of these figures we see that in every case
the power is placed very much nearer to the ful-
crum than the weight, the weight in each case
may be regarded as all the parts beneath its
respective fulcrum, so that it is evident that
speed is gained at very extensive sacrifice of
power. In all horses' Hmbs, no matter what
their length and strength, there is always this
relation of power to fulcrum, so that in all
horses' Umbs extent of movement or speed is
provided for more than power.
68. — The shoulder blade has two distinct move-
ments. We have seen that it is dragged forward
by the levator humeri muscle. Its most exten-
sive movement is that of its lower end, which
gives to the whole blade a pendulum movement.
Both these movements are effected by this mus-
cle for the most part.
59. — The arm bone has also two movements.
It is dragged backwards and forwards by the
levator humeri muscle. Its greatest movement,
however, is a pump-handle movement, having
its fulci*um or fixed point at the shoulder point.
60. — It will be seen on reference to Fig. 9, (7, 1,
2, that we have two fore hmbs in flexion. The
figures are alike, but placed at different obliqui-
ties. On comparing the two it will be seen that
with the same amount of flexion the 'action'
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 77
will be high or low according to the angle formed
by the body with the scapula or the limbos most
fixed part. By further comparing 1 and 2 it will
be seen that 1 looks upwards and forwards, but
that 2 looks forwards only. There is just one
other point we must be clear upon, and that is
the relation of the long axis of the fore Hmb to
the long axis of the body. Let us agree in re-
garding the long axis of the fore limb at the nor-
mal when the horse is standing straight on both
fore hmbs, which must be perpendicular when on
level ground. It will now be seen that the long
axis of the fore limb is not necessarily at right
angles with the long axis of the body. We have
divided horses into three classes, and adhering to
this division we find on referring to Fig. 10, that
the angle formed by the long axes before referred
to in the two fleet horses, 'Fisherman' and
'Saunterer,' are greater than a right angle, thus
enabling the horse to 'cover more ground,' as
horsemen term it. But on reference to the dia-
78 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
gram of the Clydesdale horse, it will be seen that
the two axes are at right angles. I have chosen
the three from that most excellent work on the
horse by Mr. Walsh (Stonehenge). In the great-
est speed the long axes of the body is of necessity
tilted downwards and forwards. In the heaviest
draught the weight has to be thrown forwards
into the collar, and the long axis of the body also
thrown shghtly downwards and forwards; but
very much less so than in the former case.
Where high 'park' action takes place, the long
axis of the body must be upwards and forwards.
These things being so, it foUows that for either
speed or action, or both, the fore Hmb must be
placed bodily well forward, and have its long axis
well in advance at its base. The horse is then
said *to cover plenty of ground.' This necessi-
tates, as we have seen, plenty of obhquity of the
shoulder blade, or in other words, the top of the
blade must be well back and the shoulder point
well forward. In heavy draught, the centre of
gravity must be thrown well in front of the fore
limbs, and kept in this relation to the rest of the
body, and the long axis of the limb throughout
looks downwards and forwards, and its extension
forward at the base never gets beyond the per-
pendicular.
Figure lO.
'Saunterer.'
Clydesdale Horse.
[79]
LESSON vn.
THE FORE LIMBS.
Having come to some general conclusions re-
garding the fore extremity, it will be easy for us
now to go quickly over a consideration of each
part separately.
61. — The shoulder blade must in all classes of
horses be of good length and breadth to afford
space for the attachment of the many powerful
muscles which take their origin from it. In the
race horse it must be placed very obhquely, in
order that the great length of arm required can
be placed sufficiently downwards and forward, so
as not to interfere with the saddle girth. The
arm bone, and consequently the arm must be
longer than in any other class of horse, and the
angle between it and the scapula also be very
great. The fore-arm also of the race horse must
be long. These conditions necessitate that the
' knee ' of the racer be very near the ground, and
as the pasterns must be duly long, and, when
walking, be rather upright, in order that the
weight of the body in fast galloping may not un-
duly bend them, it follows that all this length of
parts is at the expense of the metacarpal bones,
which must be proportionately shorter than in
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 81
any other class of horse. Indeed, the metacary)al
bone cannot be too short and stout in the race
horse.
62. — For draught horses the shoulder blade has
need of being extremely broad, and placed more
upright, in order to fill the upper half of the col-
lar well when the body is thrown forward. The
arm bone must be also short and stout, and at a
less angle with the scapula. These conditions
will enable the arm to be placed further back,
and the fore legs generally to be placed well
under the body, if possible, a little behind the
perpendicular. The remaining long bones of the
limb from the elbow downwards cannot be too
short and thick in order that the horse may be on
short, powerful legs. The fore-arm and the shins
thus appear of nearly equal length.
63. — The third class, of which the hunter is a
type, must have a lengthy scapula, of good
breadth, and set well back. The arm must be
in length longer than in the draught horse, but
not so long as in the race horse. It also must
be placed at an angle with the shoulder blade
greater than the cart horse, but less than in the
race horse. The fore-arm must be of medium
length, also the shin.
64. — The knee in all classes must be very large,
that is, very deep and very broad from side to
side, in order that it may be well provided with
buffer material as described in paragraph 11. It
must not be narrow from before backwards at its
lower part, or the horse will be what is known as
' tied in at the knee.'
82 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
65. — All the bones above the knee being clothed
with muscle, we have to see that these are large
and in good tone. By referring to Fig. 8, E, we
see at a glance what the form of the parts must
take in perfect development. From the knee
downwards, however, w^e have for the most part
bone not so clothed, but clearly defined in out-
line. The metacarpal must be stout in all cases;
very broad from side to side, and of good size
from behind forwards. The powerful tendons at
the back of it must also have the same general
outline as the bone in front of them, and they
must stand out in clear relief from the bone.
The outlines of the bone and tendon cannot be
too distinct. The suspensary ligament, which is
an unyielding structure attached to the back of
the metacarpal bone and again to the back and
sides of the phalanges and so slings the fetlock
joint, is well seen between the metacarpal bone
and the tendon, and can be felt in its lower third
above the fetlock joint.
6(j. — The pasterns must be broad and massive.
They must have plenty of length in the race
horse, and be rather upright when the horse is
standing, or only walking, in order that the fet-
lock joint may yield well in the gallop, and in
doing so may not come too near the ground.
In draught horses they must be less upright,
and they must be shoii; and very stout.
67. — The feet of all horses must have the same
general characters. The fore feet must be some-
what oval with their long axes from side to side;
the hind feet too must be somewhat oval, but
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 83
thoir long axes is from behind forward. The wall
of the foot in front must be in a line with the
front outhne of the pastern when the horse is
standing. The line formed at the top of the foot
where the hair and hoof meet must be nearly at
a right angle with the front hne of the foot and
pastern, so that the heels will neither be too high
and the foot 'boxy' nor too low, and thereby
tender. The sole of the foot must be well arched,
and the frog large, wedge shaped and unbroken
or ragged. The foot must also have a bright,
shining gloss upon it, like our own nails. Shoe-
ing-smiths ought not to be allowed to remove
more of this bright substance than they can help
at the time they are rasping the turned ends of
the nails, with which they fasten on the shoe, as
it is this glue-like substance which keeps the""
fibres of the hoof from splitting. They ought
never to be allowed to pare the sole of the foot
and so weaken the arch on which the column of
bones rests. After duly warning the shoeing-
sinith against the infringement of these rules,
horse owners should instantly dispense with the
services of one who abuses the rasp and drawing
knife. In order to detect abuse of the rasp,
horse owners should forbid the smith to put
grease upon the hoof, and so gloss over the
injury he has inflicted with the rasp. Grease
or hoof ointment may be put on after due in-
spection has been made of the parts.
68. — The fore limbs should be set on, so that
when the horse is standing the limb may neither
be turned in nor out. The breadth of the shoul-
84 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
ders as seen from the front will vary according
to their muscularity, but much more according to
their relative position with the trunk. This de-
pends upon the chest being cone-shaped. The
chest of the horse is somewhat cone-shaped with
the apex of the cone pointing forwards, and the
base pointing backwards. It is evident that the
further the shoulders are from the point of the
cone the further will they be apart from each
other. The fore legs of the horse are sometimes
said to appear ' to come out of one hole. ' They
may, as we have seen, be quite as muscular as
shoulders set wider apart. Width of shoulders is
desirable for collar work, so that the fore legs
have need of being placed wider apart. We shall
say httle of ' action ' because that is involved in
the more general consideration of the limbs; but
we must remark that when the foot is lifted in
flexion, the lower part of the limb should be also
straight with the long axis of the body when
viewed either to the front or rear. The foot
turned out when lifted and flexed is said ^to
dish.'
The fore limb of the racer does not necessitate
close action, or as it is termed, 'daisy cutting'
action. Flexion is very limited, not on account
of the limb being so formed as to preclude it, but
the animal has so seldom occasion to lift his feet,
on account of being nearly always on level, un-
broken ground, that habit and conservation of
energy alike tend to close stilty action. With
horses used for speed and power, which, as we
have seen, includes most horses having to go over
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 85
mixed ground, higher action becomes habitual,
and in going fast on uneven ground they must
habitually lift their feet well, and keep them well
in advance of the body, or they must stumble
and fall. Draught horses too go over all kinds of
ground, and get into the habit of lifting their feet
well from the ground, but in their case slower
speed gives them time to rectify a false step that
would bring the subject of quicker movement to
the ground. Then their limbs are placed more
under the body, and, being shorter, the action
takes place under the body and not in front of it.
THE TRUNK.
69. — We must now pass in review the trunk
of the horse, by which we mean the ^ chest ' and
^ belly.'
70. — The chest, as has been before observed, is
cone-shaped, having the apex of the cone point-
ing forward and its base backwards. This cone
shape is very effectually hidden from our view in
the living horse by those large muscular and
bony masses, the shoulders, being placed by the
side of the apex of the cone and extending back-
wards. The cone is made up of bones, having
the backbone and upper end of the ribs for a
roof, the ribs for sides and the breast bone for
the floor. This bony framework contains those
vital organs, the heart and lungs. In animals
used for speed and power the chest must be very
large, because speed and power expend much
oxygen, which the lungs have to procure for the
86 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
blood from the atmosphere. As the blood feeds
upon oxygen and consumes more when the body
is in active movement, it is necessary that the
heart be large and strong to receive and send the
blood in large quantities to its airing or feeding
ground, the lungs; also that the lungs be large to
receive both it, also the air from without, which
has to meet the blood and deliver up most of its
oxygen to the blood, and in return receive impuri-
ties from the blood and carry them from the
lungs. Besides being large and strong, the heart
and lungs have to submit to quickened rhythmi-
cal movement during the exercise of speed and
power, therefore we have to see that the walls of
the chest, which we saw were formed by the
ribs, are freely moveable.
Yl. — The belly contains the organs for the con-
version of food into the substantial elements for
repair of the waste of tissue which the body is
always undergoing, but which goes on more
quickly when the animal is in greater activity.
These organs are for the most part, the stomach
and intestines "wdth the largest gland of the body,
namely, the liver. The stomach of the horse is
comparatively small, but the intestines are very
large, and are of necessity kept distended by resi-
dual gas, which it is one of the functions of the
healthy body to keep evenly balanced in regard
both to quantity and quality. This constant dis-
tension of the intestines by healthy gas causes
that roundness and tension of the belly we see so
well marked. When the horse is in hard con-
dition, there is a minimum quantity of healthy
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 87
gas in the bowels. This can only be when he is
living on highly nutritious diet in a concentrated
form, such as oats and hay. Should an animal,
as in summer, be living on less nutritious diet,
and this engulphed in coarse, watery, non-nutri-
tive material, causing the digestive apparatus
much work, then this residual gas is for the time
greatly increased, whilst the powers are taxed to
their utmost, and it not unfrequently happens
that these fail in balancing the quantity of this
gas, and so ' windy colic ' results. It is then for
us to ask first of all what the horse we are pur-
chasing is living upon. If it is green food, we ex-
pect to find a larger belly than when hving upon
harder and more concentrated food. When the
gas in the bowels is much less than common, it
gives to the animal an unsightly appearance, and
he is said to be 'tucked up in his flanks;' but I
must caution you here against being deceived in
the import of this. If a horse is pained in mov-
ing his hind legs, he wiU be tucked up in the
flanks on the side on which the lame leg is, and
tucked up on both flanks, of course, if lame on
both hind legs. In this case, the gas in the
bowels may not be proportionately less, unless he
is otherwise in bad health, but it is more com-
pressed and pushed forwards, and encroaches
upon his breathing area. Some horses have
habitually an appearance of less residual gas in
their bowels even when in health. This gives
their beUy an unsightly, tucked up appearance,
but it is not in itself a blemish. It will occur
from overwork, and is one of the best indica-
88 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
tions we can have to stop off work, or moderate
it; because, as we have reason to know, this gas
must be present in sufficient quantity to main-
tain the digestive apparatus, so that it is merely-
pressed out of its legitimate area by the over-
worked abdominal muscles, and presses upon the
heart and Imigs, which causes these organs to
work under undue pressure from the rear, and
which will almost invariably end in inflamma-
tion (pleurisy) of their serous covering, called the
pleura, if not stopped; because the pleura invests
the lungs, and turns again upon itself and lines
the ribs, and during breathing the two pleuras
have to rub over each other, and if the lungs are
unduly pressed upon from behind this friction
increases and leads to inflammation.
Y2. — The trunk at the top has the back bone
running its whole length, and we saw that each
bone of the back had a bone sticking up called its
spine. We further saw that it was the great
length of these spines in the fore part of the
back which mainly constituted the withers. The
spines of the back are not all the same length,
but require to be long, in order that the horse
may have a strong back. The ribs must be long,
so as to give depth to the chest, and they must
be well rounded, otherwise the horse will be
what is termed flatsided. Tliis condition limits
the extension of the lungs from side to side, so
they have to extend backwards and encroach
upon the alimentary organs, more especially the
stomach, and this renders the animal less strong
than he otherwise would be.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 89
73. — The bottom of the chest at the girth place
and between the fore legs is clothed by the very
large ' pectoral ' muscles, which in horses used for
great speed are very highly developed, so as to
give this part a very deep appearance. When
these muscles are large and the withers high, the
fore part of the trunk is very deep.
On referring to the horses depicted in Fig. 10,
which represents our two extremes — speed and
strength — it will be seen that in horses used for
speed the chest is very large, and with the large
powerful muscles gives the fore hand its massive
appearance; while the belly is very small indeed.
This gives to the trunk its downwards and for-
wards axis, as seen by our line. The draught
horse, on the other hand, has, if anything, the
chest smaller than the belly, so that there the
two cavities are more of a size, hence the almost
horizontal axis of the trunk.
LESSON VIII.
THE HIND EXTREMITIES.
Named from above downwards the bones of
the hind extremities are :
The Innominate Bones.
Femur.
Patellas.
Tibia.
Fibula.
Tarsal Bones.
Metatarsal Bones.
Two Sesaamoids.
Suffraglnal Bono.
Coronal Bono.
Navicular Bone.
Pedal or CoflQn Bone.
74. — The 'innominate,' or nameless bone, is so
called on account of its being hke nothing but it-
self to which anatomists can compare it. It is
scientifically termed the 'pelvic girdle.' The
word pelvis means a basin, and, save in man-
kind with his upright trunk, scarcely applicable
to the lower animals, seeing that it is neither
shaped like a basin nor properly acts as such in
them. A very small portion of it, called the true
pelvis, assumes more of the character and func-
tions of a basin, and holds and protects the blad-
der, unimpregnated womb, &c.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
91
This bone, in forming the foundation of what
are called the ' hind quarters, ' must be thoroughly
mastered in all its aspects here pointed out.
The bone is made up of two symmetrical
halves," each half being made up of three dis-
tinct bones which become inseparably united in
adult hfe at their lower middle portion. These
are called 'ilium,' 'ischium,' 'pubis.' We find
the 'ilium ' making up by far the largest part of
the bone, and is all the part in front of the joint,
and on which we have placed the T shaped
figure. It also helps to form a part of the cavity
of the joint. The 'ischium' is all the part behind
the joint from 4 to 3. It also helps to form the
joint. The ' pubis ' is not well seen in our figure,
* Our description applies to either half.
9^ LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
but is a small flat part which with its fellow
unites the two halves of the bones together. It
concerns us here so little that we shall not fur-
ther notice it.
75. — The ^ ilium ' is irregularly T shaped. The
two ends of the top of the T are rough and
prominent, the external end at 1 more especially
so, and is that 'point' in Mark Twain's horse
which he hired in the Sandwich Islands, situated
behind the saddle on which he hung his hat.
The other end of the T at 2 is also rough, but not
nearly so prominent, yet it too is conspicuous in
some horses. The top of the T is flat and very
broad and concave from one end of the top of
the T to the other. As it approaches the joint it
becomes narrow and nearly round like a long
bone, and like a long bone widens out to help to
form the joint.
76. — The ' ischium ' part of bone (between 4 and
3) is seen to be quite hke a long bone in its cen-
tre in being round and narrow, and widens out in
front to help to form the joint, and also widens
out behind, and forms a large, rough prominence,
3, we see by the side of the root of the tail.
77. — The ' ilium ' and ' ischium ' being practi-
cally all one bone, we will refer to them as such,
and call the united stnictitre the ' ilio-ischium.^
The ilio-ischium plays the most important part in
the formation of the hind quarters as we shall
see. We have seen that it has three points all
large and rough, and which give origin to large
muscles. Now we find these points extremely
useful, indeed indispensable landmarks in judg-
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 93
ing the hind quarters. If point 1 be placed high
up on a level with point 2, it gives the hips a rug-
ged, coarse appearance, as in Fig. 12, the large,
rugged point being all the more conspicuous.
Then again, if point 3 be placed very low down,
it gives the quarters a drooping appearance,
therefore we have to regard the relations of
these three points to two axes, one axis is the
long axis of the body generally, and may be
represented by the line a 6, which we shall call
the axis of the ant ero -posterior obliquity; the
other axis is represented by the dotted line be-
tween points 2 and 3, which we shall call the
axis of the lateral obliquity.
Seeing that point 2 is fixed always, being
bound dow^n by unyielding ligaments to the solid
portion of the back bone, called the sacrum, and
the sacrum is, as we have seen, a part of, and a
continuation of the back bone, it follows that
when this ilio-ischium alters its relation to the
line a b (axis of antero-posterior obliquity) it is
the point 3 which is affected and lifted up so as
to form straight quarters as in the Arab; droop-
ing quarters as in the cob and trotting horse, or a
medium as in the hunter class.
Again, when the lateral obliquity is affected we
may regard the points 2 and 3 as being fixed, or
what is better, regard the dotted line 2 3 as a
door post on which the bone ilio-ischium is
swung, then it is evident that it is the point 1,
and with it the joint 4, that is affected, the
former most so, and we get the level ragged hips
well seen in the 'bus horse, where the point 1 is
94
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
on a level with point 2, and where the widest
part of the quarters is at the top (Fig. 12), or we
have point 1 much lowered as in Fig. 13, seen in
the higher breeds, where the breadth of the quar-
ters is much lower down. Notice, of course, that
Figure 12.
Figure 13.
as it is point 1 whicli determines the breadth of
the quarters in all cases, the quarters will be
widest at the top or lower down according to the
relative position of point 1, to the axis of the
lateral obliquity (dotted hne 2, 3).
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 95
The hip joint is largely affected by both obli-
quities. It will bo highest in straight quarters,
and lowest in drooping quarters. The length of
the thigh bone is the same in all positions of the
joint so that the stifle joint will be lowest and
furthest advanced under the body in drooping
quarters. This condition is most favorable for
fast walking and trotting, but httle favorable for
galloping, because the more the quarters droop,
the more is the femur or thigh bone directed for-
wards and downwards, and having a hmited mo-
tion, and placed almost at right angles with the
iho -ischium, its movement backwards is therefore
less, and incapable of being stretched well back
in the gallop. The femur is placed at right an-
gles, or nearly so, with the ilio-ischium, so that
its arc of motion will be the further advanced the
more drooping the quarters.
To judge the length of the femur in the living
horse, you draw an imaginary line from the
prominence at the tail to point 1, then the head
or top of the femur is at the end of the first third
of this distance, and the other end is quite well
represented by the depression or notch, formed at
the stifle joint. The femur is a very thick bone,
and very powerful, and clothed by the large mus-
cles of the thigh. It extends from the socket on
the ilio-ischium, whilst the lower end is placed
upon the two bones below (tibia and fibula) with
the pateUa or knee-cap in front, and thus forms
the largest joint in the body, called the stifle joint
(our knee joint).
78.— One bone only, the tibia, reaches from the
96
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
stifle joint to the hock joint (See Fig. 14). It is a
long bone with two ends. The upper end as
aforesaid helps to form the stifle joint, and is
rather a large end. The lower end is smally and
Figure 14.
1. The largo muscles of the thigh.
2. Tho lower part of tho hock at tho usual scat of spavin.
3. The patella, or " kuoe-cap;" immediatoly below this tho de-
pression is over the joint.
4. Muscles at the back of the tibia, oorres ponding to the " calf ''
of our leg.
5. Point of hock.
6. Curb place.
7. Bellies of muscles on outer aspect of leg.
8. Space, the seat of "thoro-pin."
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 97
with the astragalus forms the true hock joint.
The length or shaft of the bone is not round, but
has three flat sides; one side looking backwards
having upon it the bellies of large muscles cor-
responding to the calf of our own leg. Another
surface looks inwards and forwards, and is cov-
ered by skin only, as seen in Fig. 14, just as in
ourselves, and in us is called the shin, and can be'
felt as a bony •surface from our stifle or knee
down to our hock or ankle, where it ends in a
very sharp bony point in both cases called the in-
ner maleolus.
You should make an effort to remember this
prominent bony point called the inner maleolus,
because it forms a prominent land-mark in de-
scribing the hock. The remaining side of this
bone looks outwards and forwards, and is covered
by powerful muscles. Fig. 14, 7, which if you
grasp your right leg with your right hand in
front, half way betv/een the knee and ankle, and
then raise your toes without moving your foot or
leg, you will feel to contract. This outer surface
then is covered by the bellies of the muscles
which lift the toes upwards, and in the horse lifts
his foot forward.
We have, in our remarks, spok^ of an inner
maleolus, implying the existence of an outer
maleolus. The outer maleolus is formed by the
lower end of the ' fibula ' in ourselves, but in the
horse the * fibula ' is only rudimentary, and does
not reach down to the hock, or ankle, but is
merely a spicula of bone having no function or
use whatever.
98 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
79. — The hock^ (our ankle) is a highly important
joint on account of the frequency of its break-
downs. It is X3laced under, and forms an angle
with the large bone, the tibia, which transmits
the weight of the body on its upper surface, and
is placed over, and is in a li7ie with the long bone
below, the metatarsal bone, which has to meet
the weight of the body at this point, and form
a support for it every time thejbody has to be
propelled forward. We must never lose sight of
the fact that the angle is at the bottom of the
tibia, and at the top of the hock, and that the
direction of the weight of the body is represented
by the long axis of the tibia. This direction of
weight is easiest combated the less the angle
formed at the hock, just as a straight upright
pillar will bear a greater weight than oue which
has a bend or angle in it, and the greater this
bend or angle, the less able is the pillar to sup-
port weight put upon it. The weight of the horse
is, we have said, transmitted through the tibia,
and is not a dead weight so to speak, that is to
say it is not like the steady downward pressure
of a weight having no other influences save grav-
ity on the one hand and the resisting medium on
which it rests on the other. It may be compared
to the pressure exerted on the end of the village
urchin's bow when he has planted one end on
the ground, is bending the wood with his right
knee whilst he hokls the bow firmly pressed to
* Tho student should procure the bones of ii sound hock. Any
horse-slaughterer's man will procure and prepare these for a shilling
or so.
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 09
the ground with his left hand, and is dragging
the string upwards to the notch or catch with his
right hand. In such a case the end resting on the
ground is pressed downwards with the left hand,
and is dragged upwards through the medium of
the string with the other. Such a weight differs
much from a so-called dead weight. Excluding
the long bones above and below which meet the
hock, and regarding only the intrinsic bones of
hock, we can divide them into three sets accord-
ing to their functions; namely—
1. The gHding bone.
2. The lever bone.
3. The buffer bones.
The gHding bone is called the astragalus, and is
a large cubical block which carries the two large
ghdmg surfaces, on which glides the small end of
the tibia. These two large gliding surfaces have
a screw-like form which causes the parts below
the hock, when the toe is lifted, to move out-
wards. Then again, this gliding surface is almost
parallel with the long axis of the hock and parts
below. Then again, and this is very important to
remember, when the foot is on the ground, the
leg at its straightest, and the very small end of
the tibia resting upon the top of this large ghding
surface, the hock appears large, but when the leg
is hfted, and the small end of the tibia slides
necessarily to the bottom of this large gliding
surface, the hock looks small, therefore it is the
relation of this large gliding surface to the small
surface at the lower end of the tibia which deter-
100 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGINa.
mines the apparent size of the hock. It follows
that a bent hock ivhicli appears smaller may he as
large as a straight hock which appears larger.
The lever bone, or ^ calcaneum/ is placed at the
top of the hock at the back, and is a lever of the
second order. The end of the long arm of this
lever is called the point of the hock, and cor-
responds with our heel. It has attached to it the
tendon (called ' Tendo Achilles ') of the large mus-
cle whose belly forms the so-called calf of our
leg. All depends upon the length of this lever
whether the ^ calves ' are large or small, because
the longer this long arm, the less will be the
strength required to work it. Negroes have small
calves to their legs very often, because their heels
are so long. A well-bred European with his short
large, muscle to ivork it, and so can boast of
'having a good leg.' The ^calf ' of the horse is
very much concealed on account of the large
muscles of the back of the thigh being inserted
into the back and upper third of the tibia sur-
rounding the 'calf to some extent. The mus-
cles on the outer side of the tibia (Fig. 1-i, 7)
called the gaskin muscles, well seen in Fig. 15,
are extremely prominent, and measurable with
the eye, and, as we have seen, extend the toe and
foot. Little notice then need be taken of the
long arm of the lever under consideration. Witli
a long lever arm, and the same bulk and strength
of ' calf ' required for a short lever arm attached
to it, the hock would be torn asunder. This, as
we have seen, cannot be the case. The weight
surface of the lever is applied against the astraga-
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
101
lus. The fulcrum concerns us most, as it is fixed
by means of ligaments which are sometimes torn
or otherwise injured, and which swell and in-
flame in consequence, and the horse is then said
Figure IS.
to have ^sprung a curb.' The place of this occur-
rence is marked at Fig. 14, 6.
The 'irregular' bones or buffers are placed at
the lower part of the hock, and are two tiers hav-
ing joints between them. They are very much
jarred when the hock is flexed smartly as in that
quick fascinating hock action we sometimes wit-
102 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
ness, and then the inner ones undergo change
and throw out a soft plastic material which in
time hardens into bone, and is called 'bone
spavin' or a 'jack.' Much depends on the size
of these buffer bones. If they are large they
serve their purj^ose, and we may have a good
hock. They form the whole of the lower part of
the hock, so that we must look for this part to be
large in every way.
80. — The bone below the hock is called the
metatarsal bone, and is like the metacarpal bone
of the fore leg, only it must be thickest from be-
fore backwards.
81. — The remaining bones are for the most pai-t
like those of the fore leg.
LESSON IX.
HIND EXTREMITIES— CONTINUED.
The hind extremities are the propellers of the
body, and the fore extremities are the weight
bearers, roughly speaking. The same general re-
marks which were made regarding the fore ex-
tremities apply equally to the hind ones. The
ilio-ischium representing the scapula, &c. Where
we find the bellies of groups of muscles, there we
find bulk and rotundity. Those who have an eye
for the beauty of curves will find pleasing curved
lines in the outlines of a horse in condition. The
absence of these beautiful curves is well marked
in horses not in condition. For example, stand-
ing at the side, but a little behind a hunter in
condition (see Fig. 15), we see prominently among
other curved lines the most beautiful curves
formed by the outhnes of the muscles of the
hind-quarters and leg ; indeed to all, whether
judges or lovers of horseflesh or not, this pro-
fusion of elegant and varying curves set forth on
a shining coat, grace of movement and the fire of
excess of life, gives a thrill of pleasure which
possibly no object in nature can surpass. These
beauties are not surpassed by the most perfect
female (human) figure, and seeing that in our
104
LESSONS m HORSE JUDGING.
social life these latter are hidden, undoubtedly a
hunter in highest condition, prepared for the
chase, is perhaps the most entrancing of sights.
Look out then in judging a horse for beautiful
Figure 16.
1. Outer point of ilium.
2. Point of ischium.
3. Stifle joint.
4. Calf of leg.
5. Point of hock.
6. Curb i)laee.
7. Gaskius.
curves. There are some — but they must be first
rate judges — who can afford to lose sight of these
curves in purchasing what they term a poor horse,
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 105
i.e., a horse not in condition. When this is so,
they must see to the relative length and hulk of
the levers (bones) being what is desirable, also
that the joints are large and flat, and of course
an absence of blemishes. If the bones of the ex-
tremities are of proper length and stoutness, then
— except of course in disease — the muscles will
either be in good condition, or will be capable of
being made so, and they will be massive and pre-
sent bold, beautiful curved outlines.
The ilio-ischium should be broad so as to pre-
sent abundant surface for muscular attachment.
If the T shaped upper surface looks upwards
from the quarters being ^ragged' from point 1
(Fig. 11), being on a level with point 2, then the
body of muscles occupying this space will present
a curve with a convexity looking directly up-
wards (see Fig. 12). But should point 1 be much
lower, the convexity of the curve looks outwards
and upwards (see Fig. 13), and the curve formed
— as seen when standing behind — in the latter
case between point 1 and the stifle joint will be
less broken, and therefore the more elegant. The
depth of the thigh is well seen from behind, but
it appears deeper, if not really so, in such as have
straight quarters, for reasons we have before
seen. There is just one other obliquity of the in-
nominate bone which we have as yet not men-
tioned. It obtains between the two symmetrical
halves of the innominate bone — in other words,
between the two ilio-ischia bones. When these
bones are much divergent in front and their
after points converge, a very defective ^setting
106 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
on ' of the hind hmbs results and the hind Hmbs
look outwards. This being so, the hocks are
closer together, and the horse is said to be ' cow
hocked.' The ilio-ischia bones ought to be as
parallal as possible, so that the hind hmbs look
straight forwards and backwards, when the horse
is standing. In moving, the hip joint and the
screw-hke astragalus cause the limb naturally to
assume the slightly outward aspect. In ourselves
this is so, and the dancing master or driU sergeant
is not to be thanked that our toes are a little out-
turned, because as the hip joint is constituted
they could not be otherwise.
It is hoped that the above remarks will form a
good guide to those who are desirous of thinking
out for themselves the numberless points to be
observed in horse judging.
We shall now close these remarks with a few
observations on the hock.
THE HOCK.
82. — Of all the joints in the body this is the
most impoi-tant. We must refer the reader to
our description of the bones in Lesson VIII., and
remind him that according to the size of the indi-
vidual bones alone the ajyj^arent size of the hock
does not depend, but more upon the angle at
which the tibia impinges upon the astragalus.
This is well seen in extreme flexion, when the
hock seems to disappear, leaving nothing but its
so-caUed point in view. The lower fourth or
more of the hock is made up of the buffer bones
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. lOT
in front and at the sides, consequently it is these
which give the lower part of the hock size. They
must be large but not necessarily coarse, but they
may be large and coarse and of unequal size in
the two hocks and yet be quite healthy and free
from ^spavin.' The top of the metatarsal bone
on which they mainly rest must also be large.
When this latter is small we have a grave defect;
but when it is not only small, but forms with the
buffer bones of the hock an angle, we have a very
grave defect called 'curby hocks.'
The hock should present on its inner surface a
big, flat, square appearance, and when a horse-
man speaks of hking a big, flat, square hock, he
refers to the inner aspect of the hock. The
boundaries of this so-called square are as follows:
the internal maleolus or lowest inner point of the
tibia; the extreme point of the hock; the front
part of the head of the tibia; lastly, the head of
the small inner metatarsal bone. These points
form the four points of the square, and the sides
are the imaginary lines between these four points.
It is not within the scope of this work to speak
of morbid conditions — such as spavin, curb, ring-
bone, splint, and so forth, but we must caution the
reader against an appearance of ^curb.' When
the head of the outer small metatarsal bone is
large, it gives the side aspect of the really good
well-made hock a 'curbed' appearance, because
the line from the extreme point of hock to the
fetlock at the back should be quite straight, and
is straight in all except badly formed hocks and
such as have ' curbs. ' Even when the head of
108 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
the outer small bone named is large and breaks
this hne when viewed from the side, the straight
Une is still fomid when you approach the hock
and run your fingers down the middle hne of the
parts behind.
The angle at the hock we saw was formed by
the tibia impinging upon the astragalus, and we
further saw that the less the angle the weaker
the hock. The hind legs must therefore be as
upright, or rather as straight as possible, in order
to be as strong as possible. But we have already
seen that power (strength) is universally gained
at the expense of speed, which, in turn, can only
be obtained by quickness and extent of motion of
the parts most concerned in speed, so that straight
hind hmbs are stronger, but have less of that
quick perfect flexion or hock action which has
such an attractive appearance.
The front and back of the hock must also have
plenty of breadth. The point of the hock short of
being ' capped ' cannot be too broad.
83. — The metatarsal bone must be short and
stout, and the hock as near the ground as possi-
ble. This bone is thickest from before back-
wards, and as the back tendon must have the
same characters as we described in the case of
the hke structure in the fore limb, it follows that
these parts will be altogether deeper from before
backwards. As in the case of the fore limb, the
tendon must stand out distinctly from the bone,
and the suspensory hgament must also be well
defined.
84. — The pasterns must also have much the
LESSONS IN IIOKSE JUDGING. 109
same qualities as those of the fore Hmb in each
class of horse.
85. — The foot also must have the same general
characters as the fore foot, but the long axis of
its oval is always from before backwards. The
hind foot does not call forth the fraction of the
amount of care as is the case with the fore foot.
It is less often unsound, and its unsoundness less
frequently leads to the same disastrous results.
It is well, however, to look to it much in the
same manner as in the case of the fore foot.
LESSON X.
THE WIND, COLOR, HEIGHT, COAT AND HAIR, AGE.
The term ^ wind ' is used by horsemen to signify
the respiration or breathing capabihties. It is not
necessary to describe in detail defects in ^wind.'
Normal or healthy breathing, or ^ wind, ' will here
be described, and from that defects may be re-
cognized.
When a healthy horse of average size is stand-
ing quietly in his stable, he breathes from eight
to ten or twelve times a minute. I here use the
term breathes in its popular sense, which all, I
beheve, understand. If the back of the hand and
fingers be placed against the ribs, just behind the
elbow, the heart will be felt to knock the side in
beating about four times the breathing rate, so
that a healthy horse having a pulse of thirty-six
per minute will breathe about nine times per
minute. In all cases there ought to be this ratio
1 — 4: or thereabout. Sliould this ratio be absent
to any marked extent, such for instance as a
breathing rate of fifteen and a pulse rate of
forty, disease is present. Exercise in moderation
increases both pulse and respiration, both are
quickened, but the ratio is more or less retained.
Anyhow, when the horse comes to stand and
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. Ill
rest, the ratio in health is soon re-estabhshed. In
very small horses, such as Shetland ponies, the
pulse may be forty or forty-four per minute, and
the breathing eleven, but there is stiU the ratio
1 — 4: in health. Many things disturb this ratio —
disease, fright, grief, joy, &c. — by quickening the
pulse, and affecting less the breathing.
In order to acquire dexterity in judging the
^ wind ' it is best to get a horse known to have
perfect Svind' into a grass field, and have him
slowly trotted round you in a circle about the
size of an ordinary horse-rider's circus. Noise
must necessarily be made in breathing, but there
ought to be no distress exhibited, no difficulty in
getting breath, no noises except soft blowing — no
whisthng or grunting. After a reasonable time,
long before the animal shows signs of distress, he
should be stopped, and notice be taken liow long
the breathing is in quieting down. This time is
easily judged if the examiner will judge the
horse by himself — if healthy — as the same length
of time is required after the same proportion of
exertion in the two cases. In the autumn when
the horse has on a long coat he will feel distress
earlier, and congestion of the lungs will be more
easily induced. If exercise be not followed by
quieted respiration, some defect is present. Of
course, if undue exercise has been taken, then
the lungs, although healthy, may have become
congested. Again, attention should be given to
the movements of the ribs on either side. The
ribs should expand freely on both sides. In some
diseases of the lungs one may become ' deaf, ' or a
112 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
great part of one may be so, then the work is
thrown on to the sound lung, and the breathing
capabihties so much decreased. Tliis shows itself
by the affected side having more hmited move-
ment. As a general thing, fat, gross subjects
have a diminished breathing capacity, therefore
they are sooner distressed, and their breathing
does not quiet down so soon after exertion.
Pregnancy encroaches still more on the breath-
ing capacities. Horses used to going out of a
walking pace are more likely to have good
breathing capacities than those used for slow
work. With draught horses, puUing a load will
give a better idea of breathing capabilities than
any other exercise — care being taken that the
collar fits well and does not bear on the wind-
pipe.
Some strike and threaten a horse up against a
wall, or while standing in his stall, with a stick.
Such a proceeding does not try the 'wind,' but
will in some cases elicit the peculiar grunt or
roar in 'roarers,' and thus save further trial.
Further than this the test is useless and mis-
leading.
COLOR.
There is an old saying that a good horse can-
not be a bad color. This, hke most sayings, has
a germ of truth in it. Were we to have a free
choice, in all cases we should select our color as
follows: the best color undoubtedly is dark brown,
with black points; the next best color is bay, with
black points. Light chestnuts are good; but dark
LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 113
chestnuts are objectionable, as it is notorious that
after seven years old their fore feet are often con-
tracted. Grays and whites are not bad colors.
Black is a hardy color; white stockings if they
exist largely on the same horse are objectionable,
especially if the absence of pigment or coloring
matter extends to the horn of the feet. Of all
colors, yellow or Cleveland bays, piebalds, and
dark red chestnuts are the most objectionable.
In the choice of a horse, however, the purchaser
should ask himself the question: Does the horse's
color offend the eye ? If not, and if the horse be
otherwise desirable, the color ought not to be an
obstacle.
HEIGHT.
Having regard to most speed, we should have
the largest dimensions possible, and therefore the
greatest height compatible with perfection in
symmetry. The greatest power also requires the
greatest bulk. A combination of speed and
power, as exhibited in our type the hunter, has
its highest expression in horses about fifteen and
a half hands high; half a hand more or less being
unessential.
THE SKIN AND ITS APPENDAGES.
The skin of the thoroughbred is extremely thin
and dehcate, and aUows the veins to be seen
: through it, and is covered with fine hair. That
of the draught horse is thick. That of the
hunter, or power and speed representative, is a
mean between the two extremes, and shows as
114 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING.
clearly as most things whether the horse in ques-
tion inclines to being well bred and thin skinned
or the reverse.
Much mane and tail is a sign of low breeding.
A slight silky mane, with or without a httle
wave in the hair, is a desirable thing. The same
may be said of the tail.
AGE.
Horses, as a rule, are considered at then* best
at from five to ten years of age. Much depends
on the age at which they are put to work. The
author has in his mind's eye a case in which a
gentleman used to break his horses at four, but
did not begin to use them until eight. These
horses, to the author's own knowledge, were at
their prime from eight to twenty years of age.
As horses are now treated, their ages may be
compared with that of man as follows: —
equals a man at 20
40
50
60
^^ 65
'' 90
'' " 105
This calculation supposes both subjects to be
well treated.
THE END.
A horse at
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Burdett's Dramatic Recitations and Readings.
Compiled and arranged for Reading, Speaking, Recitations and Elecutionary
exercises.
CONTENTS.
Baron's Last Banquet, The. 'Forgive,— No, Never.
Benediction, The
Boat-Race, The.
Death.
Death-bed of Benedict Ar-
nold.
Death of the Drunkard
The.
Death of King John.
Death of Murat.
|3eath of the Old Squire,
The.
Death of the Reveller,The.
Dream of Eugene Aram,
The.
Dying Hebrew, The.
Education.
Evangelist, The.
Fearless DeCourcy, The.
Flight for Life, The.
Forgotten Actor, The.
Galley-Slave. The.
Game Knut Played, The.
Iv.^n, The Czar.
Jean Goello's Yarn.
King Robert of Sicily.
Last Banquet, The.
Legend of the Church of
Los Angeles, A.
Legend of a Veil.
Leper, The.
Little Ned.
" Lynch for Lynch."
Mary Queen of Scots.
Marseillaise at Sebastopol,
The.
Mask and Domino.
Night Watch, The.
Ode to Eloquence.
Bound in illuminated paper coven -
O Maria, Reg^na Misericor-
diae.
One of King Charles' Mad-
cap Men.
Painter of Florence, The.
Parrhasius.
Portrait, The.
Ramon.
Rescue, The.
Richelieu ; or, the Con-
spiracy.
Sea Captain's Story, The.
Spanish Page, The.
Three Words (The), Ar-
nold, the Traitor.
Tiger Bay.
Told at the Falcon.
Two Loves and a Life.
Price, 25 cents.
BURDETT'S NEGRO DIALECT RECITATIONS AND BDIIORO&S READINGS.
Containing the latest and best hints of modem Negro Ministrelsy, being by far
the most perfect book of its kind ever published.
CONTE NTS.
An Examination in History,
Apples : an Original Negro
Lecture.
Bad Churchman, A.
Blind Ned.
Brjther Anderson.
Brother Gardner and Judge
Cadaver.
Brother Gardner on Music.
Brudder Bones's Love
Scrape.
Brudder Plato Johnson's
Sermon.
" Business " in Mississippi.
Caesar Rowan.
Christmas Baby, The.
Christmas Night in the
Quarters,
Colored Preacher's Relig-
ious Experience, A.
Darky Bootblack, The.
Darky Preacher, The.
Darky's Story, The.
De Cake Walk.
Devil's Ride, The,
First Banjo, The.
Half-Way Doings.
How Persimmons
Cah ob de Baby,
Bound in illuminated paper cover.
Kentucky Philosophy
Mahsr John.
Marcellino's Conversion.
Marriage a Mighty Serious
Thing.
Momma Phoebe.
Negro Aphorisms.
Nigger Made Happy."
" No Party To-Night."
Old Daddy Turner.
Old Hostler's Experience,
The.
Ole Man's" Lament, The.
Old Sambo Puzzled.
Old Si Pilots a
Hunt.
Took
Ship of Faith, The.
Solium Fac', A.
Sunday Fishin'.
Teco Brag's Lecture.
Ter'ble 'Sperience, A.
Terpsichore in the Flat
Creek Quarters.
Three Wishes, 1 he.
Uncle Anderson on Pros-
perity.
Uncle Billy and the Civil
Rights Bill.
Uncle Eph Kimble's Mis-
j take.
Possum Uncle Gabe's White Folks.
lUr.cle Ike's Roosters.
Parson Snow's Broad Hint.jUncle Joel.
Pine Town Darky D ebating Uncle Ned's Defence.
Society. The. lUncle Pete and Mars^
Plar ration Song, A. | George.
Precepts at Parting. Uncle Reuben's Baptism.
Professor Barbour's E xperi- Vv ar of Races, The.
ment. I" Whar's de Kerridge ? "
Rev. Plato Johnson Visits What's a Dolla to a Man
New York, The.
Rev. Uncle Jim's Sermon,
The.
Sambo's Dilemjna.
ISam's Feast.
wid a Family
What Troubled the Nigger.
Wounded in the Corners.
- - - Price, 25 cents.
For gale by all Booksellers, or will be sent, post-paid, on receipt of price.
EXCELSIOR PUBLISHING HOUSE,
P. O. Box 1144. fi9 and 31 Beekman Street, New York, N. T,
BURDETT'S
Heroic Recitations and Readings.
Ballad of Roland Clare, The.
Battle of Fontenoy, The.
BatUe of Ivry. Ihe.
Battle of Mongarten, The.
Beau.
Beth Gelert
Bill Gibbon's Delirerance.
"Bill Mason's Bride.
Caldwell of Sprin^eld
Charge of the Light Brigade,
Tha
Christian Maiden and the Lion,
The.
Cowardly Jim.
Curfew must not Ring To-night
Death of "Old Braze."
Defence of Lucknow, The.
Diver, The.
Downfall of Poland, The.
Execution of Montrose, The.
COaNTTEZlSrTS.
Execution of Queen Mary.
Father John.
Fireman, The.
Glove and the Lions. The.
Henry of Navan-e before Paris.
Heroism.
Herve RieL
How he Saved St Michael's.
How Jane Conquest Rang the
BelL
In the Tunnel.
Jim Bludsoe.
John Bartholomew's Ride.
.John Maynard-
Kate Maloney,
Karl the Martyr.
Last Redoubt, The
Leaguer of Lucknow, The.
Leap of Roushan Beg, The.
Little Hero, The.
Lochinvar.
Main Truck, The ; or, A Leap
for Life.
Marco Bozzaris.
Martjrs of Sandomir, The.
O'Murtogh.
Phil. Blood's Leap.
Polish Boy, The.
Rid« of Jennie McNeal. The.
Sergeant's Story. The, of the
Light Brigade.
Seventh Fusileers, The.
Ship on Fire, The.
Spanish Armada. The,
Spanish Mother. Th>\
Supporting the Guns.
Tom.
Trooper's Story; The.
True Hero. A.
Bound ill Illustrated Paper Cover. Price 35 Cents.
BURDETT'S
Patriotic Recitations and Readings.
After the Battle.
America.
American Flag. The.
Arnold Winkleried.
Barbara Frietcliie.
Battle of Fort Moultrie, The.
Battle-Flag at Shenandoah
The.
Battle of Bunker Hill.
Battle of Lexington, The.
Battle of Lookout Mountain,
The.
Battle of Gettysburg, The.
Battle-Flrtgs. "Th«.
-Bay Bill*- "
Bivouac of the Dead. The.
Blue and the Gray, The.
Boston Boys.
Caldwell of Sprinpflpld.
Capture of Stony Point, The.
i'hargc by the Foixl. The.
Columbia.
Conquered Banner, The.
Decoration Day.
COlSTTZErsTTS.
Drafted,
Duty of the American Scholar
E Piuribus Unum
Ensign-Bearer, The.
Foes Unite<l in Death.
Fourth of July.
• '.eorgia Volunteer The.
Gun of Xew Or. onus The.
.loiin Burns of Gettysburg.
Kearny at Seven Piues.
Kelly's Ferrj-.
Kentucky Belle.
Little Kcginient. The.
lAiokout Mountain. 1863.
Miles Keogh's Hors».
Nation's Hymn. The.
Nation's Dead. The.
< >Id Sergeant. Tlie,
I lid Soldier's Siory. The.
Old Surgeon's Storv. The.
Old Soldier Trump; The.
Old Canteen. The.
One in Blue and One In
Gray
Opposition to Misgovern-
ment.
Our Whole Country.
Our Country.
Our Heroes.
Paul Kevere's Ride.
Patriotism.
Patriot Spy, The.
Pride of Battery B, The.
Revolutionary Rising The.
Savinitof the Color.-;. The.
Scott and the Veteran.
Sheridan's Hide.
Somebodv's Darling.
Sprig of 6rcen. Tli.-.
Stars and Strii-es, The.
Substitute. The.
Sword of Bunker Hill,
The.
Tribute to our Honored
Dead, A.
Union and Liberty
I'liion of the States. The.
L'ulou Liuked with Liberty.
Bound in Illustrjited Paper Cover. I'rice 25 Cents.
For sal© by all Bookseliers or -will be sent, postpaid, on
receipt of price.
EXCELSIOR PUBLISHING HOUSE,
29 and 31 Beekmau Street, New York, N. Y,
P. O. Box 1144.
Biirdett's Serio-Comic Recitations and Readings.
Being a new collection of humorous, dramatic, serious, and dialect
Recitals in prose and poetry, adapted and arranged for public or parlor
entertainments.
CONTENTS.
An Irish Letter
An Oration on Spunk
Arkansaw Traveller
Aux Italiens
Ballad of Cassandra Brown,
The
Battle of Limerick, The
''Bay Billy"
Beau
Bill Brown (from Cohoes) - . .
Bill Mason's Bride
Blind Mother, The
Brother Bill
Brother Gardner on Liars . . .
Caoch the Piper
Chess Board, The
Clerical Wit
Cut Behind
Death of the Old Squire, Tlie
Der Mule Shtood on der
Steamboad Deck
Dot Baby off Mine
Dutchman's Family, The
Engineers Making Love
Fashionable School-Girl
For Life and Death
Hard Witness, A
Hezekiah Bedott
His Son Jim's Bay Mare
Home Again
Horse, The. (A Boy's Com-
position)
160 pa^es, iliiimimited cover. Price 25c.
For sale by all booksellers, or will be sent postpaid on
receipt of price.
How the Old Horse Won the
Bet
In der Shweed Long Ago
Irish Philosopher, The
Jew and the Jewels, The
Jiners, The
Knight's Toast, The
Language of the Rail, The..
Mary's Little Lamb
Me and My Dog
Modern Education
Mr. Molony's Account of the
Ball
Mule, The
New Church Organ, The
* ' Nebuchadnezzar "
''Ole Marster's'' Christmas,
The
Pat's Bondsman
Postilion of Nagold, The
Regret
Religious Card Player, The . .
Royal Bumper Degree, The.
Sergeant's Story, The
' ' Solomonism "...
Spartacus with Modern Im-
provements
TelephT)nic Conversation, A-
Weather Fiend, The
Widder, The
Widow Bedott's Poetry, The
EXCELSI06 PUBLISHING HOUSE
P. O. Bos. 1144.
29 and 31 Bec7anan Street,
NEW YORK, N. Y.
Burden's Dutch Dialect Recita-
tions and Readings.
Being No. 1 of the Burdeit Series of Recitations andKeadings. This col-
lection of amusing and laue:hable Recitations embraces all the newest and
2io8t successful piect'S, original and selected, with which the celebrated
Header, Jas. S. Burdett, invariably " brings down the house," besides a
boat of other Dialect Selections in general use by other leading Public
Keaders of the present day.
COISTTEllMXS .
ra FrietcWe
Bet<=ey und I Hafe Bust CTb
Charge of de " Dutch Brigade," The
Deitsche Advertisement
Dem Ole dim( s Habbiness and dem
New
Der Baby
Der Dog und der Lobster
Der Drummer
Der Good Lookin' Shnow
Der Moon
Der Mule Shtood on der Steamboad
Deck -....
Dtr Nighd Pehind Grisdmas
Der Schleighride .
Der Wreck of der Hezberus
Dhree Skaders
Don'd Feel Too Big
Dot Funny Leetle Baby
Dot Lambs vot Mary Haf Got
Dot Leedle Loweeza
Dot Loaf of Bread
Dot Shly Leedle Raskel
Dot Surprise Party
How Jake Schneider Went Blind . .
How " Sockery " Set a Hen
How the Dutchman Killed the
Woodchuck
Initiated as a Member of the United
Order of Half -Shells
Isaac Rosenthal on the Chinese
Question
I Vash So Glad I Vash Here
Jew's Troubles, A
Katrina Likes Me Poody Well......
Katrina'8 Visit to New York
Life, Liberty and Lager
Lookout Mountam, 1863— Beutelsh-
bach.1880
Little Yawcob Strauss
Maud Muller
Marriage Ceremony, The .....
Mine Katrine
Mine Shildrcn
Mr. Schmidt's Mistake
Mygel Snyder's Barty
Oration on he" Labor" Question..
Overcoat H Got, The
Dot Young Viddow Clara | Pretzel's Speech Before the -Uinoia
Dutchman's Experience i Assembly
Dutchman's Dolly Varden, A Romoo and ulie
Dutchman 8 Telephone, A | Schlausheimer's Alarming-^lock ..
Dutchman's Tesimiony in a Steam-
boat Case, A.
Dutchman and the Raven. The ....
Dutch Recruiting Officer, A
Dutch Sermon, A
Dutchman's Serenade. The
Dutchman's Snake, The... .-
Dutchman and the Yanaee
Dvin' V^ords of Isaac
Efn Deutsches Lied
Fine Old Dutch GentIeman,*The . . .
Fritz und I
German Speech of Hcrr Hans Yager,
The
Go Vay. Becky Miller, Qo Vay
Gosling's Wife Snores -. ..
Hans Breitmann and the Turners..
Hans and Fritz
Hans in a Fix
Han'e Midnight Excuses
Hans Sonrcrout on Signs and Omens
Home Again
How a Dutchman was Done
How Hans Yager Enjoyed the Opera
In a handsome illnstrnted cover
Schlausheinier Don't Gonciliatc ...
Schloi^ser's Ride
Schneider's Ride
Schnitzel's Philo8opede
Schneider Sees Leah
Schneider's Tomatoes ...
Shake's Telephone
Shoo Flies
Shonny, Don'd You Hear Me f
Shonny Schwartz
Bnyder's Nose
Sockery Kadacut's Kat
Teaching Him the Business
Temperance Speech
Tiamonds on der Prain
To a Friend Studying German
Touching Appeal, A
"TwoTollar"
Vas Bender Henshpecked
Yawcob's Losing Deal
Yankee and the Dutchman's Dog,
The
Yoppy Varder unt Hees Droubles. .
Zwei Lager
Price, 25 cents.
For sale.by all Booksellers or will be sent post-paid on receipt of price.
EXCELSIOR PUBLISHING HOUSE,
I>. O. Box 1144.
29 & 31 BEEKMAN ST., NEW YORK, N. T,
New and Popular Books sent Free of Postage at Prices Annexed.
Art of Training Animals.— A complete guide for ama-
teur orprofessional trainers, Ki^inprall the secrets and mysteries of
the craft, and showing how all circus tricks, and all feats of all per-
forming animals— from elephants to fleas— are accomplished. It also
has an improved system of horse and colt breaking, breaking and
training sporting dogs, care and tuition of song, talking, and perform
mg birds, snake charming, bee taming, and many other things, making
a large, handsinne volume of over aiX) pages and 60 illustrations. It
would take a i)Hge of tins catalogue merely to mention what the book
conkiins Every farmer and animal-owner will find this book valuable,
and every boy who has dogs or other pets will find it a source of
endless amu.sement. One gentleman writes us that his boys have
organized quite a circus with their pets, who have been taught
amusing and wonderful tricks from our book, and he proposes get-
ling them a little tent. Remember this book at the holidays. It is a
good present . . ...50cts.
(An edition embracing also The Horseshoer's Manual and Youatt's
Treatise on Diseases of the Horse's Foot, in one handsome cloth-bound
volume, at $1 00.)
Art of Wood Engraving.— A practical instructor by
which an}' one can learn a good trade. Many young ladies have had
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Artist's Manual.— A practical guide to Oil and Water-
Color Painting, Crayon Drawing, etc. By James Beahd and other emi-
nent artists. Now that so many are taking up art studies, this book
meets a want which can be filled by no other single volume. It is very
clear, full, and explicit, and teaches the best methods. Mr Beard is
widely and favorably known as an artist and writer, and his book may
therefore be relied upon. It gives the able and conscientious aid of an
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Bad Memory Made Good, and Good Made Better.— Shows
how 0. wonderful power of memory may be acquired by a simple art,
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Baker's Manual.— This is a practical instructor in all
branches of the business, including American, French, and German
styles of work, pastry, cake, and various kinds of bread, biscuit, etc
It gives many novelties whose recipes are sold at high prices and any
baker will find it pay him to get this book A good idea of the real
value of this book is given by the fact that the only similar work,
scarcely as large, has been selling to the trade for $5 a copy. Any in-
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EXCELSIOR PUBLISHING HOUSE, 29 & 31 Beekman St., New York, N.Y.
P O. Box 1144.
New and Popular Books sent Free of Postage at Prices Annexed.
Barkeeper's Manual.— Only professional book of the kind
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numerous useful recipes and practical suggestions to the profes-
sion . .-... .. .SOcts.
Black-Soard in the Sunday-School.— A practical guide
for Superintendents and Teachers. By Fr,a.nk Beard With numerous
illustrations. Just the thing wanted, giving just the information needed
to enable any superintendent or teacher to use the Black-board in the
work of the Sunday-School, including instructions for plain and ct>lored
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Book of Scrolls and Ornaments.— For Car, Carriage,
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car shops, and for ornauiental work generally Mr. J H. Loudolphe
gives the besc ideas, and Ins work herein maintains the reputation his
work in tlie shop gave him. It is ))riiicipaliy devoted to flat ornamen-
tation. The work is a favorite with the profession, and is a storehouse
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Book of Alphabets. — For Painters, Draughtsmen, De-
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Book of Japanese Ornamentation.— A collection of de-
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The designs are all practical, and range from the simplest styles to the
most elaborate work. "This collection will be found useful to the sign
painter, designer, decorator, and others for whom it is intended."—
Painter's Magazine, " Deserves study by all painters interested in dec
oration. "--i/u6 . S-OO
Books of Advertised Wonders.— This is a collection of
the secrets, money-making recipes, wonders, and various things adver-
tised by circulars and new.-^Dapers to catch curious people. Some are
good, some bad, some inditTerent $'2M were .spent to collect them, and
here you have them for 'A) cents, with our comments as to the humbugs
when they are such. There are enough good things to pay almost any
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Candy Maker —A complete guide for making all plain
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The book also givfs a full line of s)'rups for soda water, recipes for
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Detective's Club.— A most interesting book of detective
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Diseases of Dogs.— Their pathology, diagnosis, and treat-
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management of dogs If you have a valuable sporting or watch dog,
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Dog Training. — Chapters on dog training from the "Art
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training Varieties and merits of sporting dogs ; preliminary train-
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and training, to teach him his naine. to leap, to walk erect, to dance,
to jump rope, to sit and lie down at command, to beg, to give his paw,
to sneeze, to speak for it to fetch and carry, to bring you his tail in his
mouth, to stand on a ball and roll it up and down a plank, to walk on
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Dyer and Scourer.— A complete practical guide, designed
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Employment Seeker's Guide.— Gives advantages and
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Fun Everlasting-— A large collection of choice humorous
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the whole illustrated by numerous comic engravings. You can invest
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Furniture and Cabinet Finisher.— A guide to polishing,
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will never regret : those who do not will be compelled some day to ac-
knowledge they have neglected an interesting and valuable work."
Many teachers and others are doing well by writing during leisure
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paring *" compositions,'' essays, valedictories, etc. . — ■. 50 cts.
Gunsmith's Manual.— A complete handbook for the Amer-
ican gunsmith, being a practical guide to all branches of the trade.
This book is designed to furnish such information as shall be of most
use in the actual every-day work of the shop, and for such demands or
emergencies as are liable to challenge the knowledge or skill of the
workman The work covers descriptions of guns and pistols, fitting
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barrels, tools for breeching guns, tools for chambering breech-
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gun hammers, nipples, or coups; springs, rods, bullet molds, screw-
making tools , nomenclature; browning and recipes for browning, val-
uable miscellaneous recipes too numerous to mention ; powder and
shot ; judging the quality of guns ; using the rifie, using the shot-gun,
using the pistol ; vocabulary of mechanical terms used by gun-mak-
ers; vocabulary of chemicals and substances used in varuislies, etc.;
calibers of guns ; rifling, twist of rifles, etc. , directions for taking
apart and assembling guns, rifles, and pistols. A handsome volume of
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plates. Cloth $2.00
Hand-book of Dominoes.— Giving all popular and new
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Hand-book of Ventriloquism, -A practical self-instructor,
with examples for practice and t-xhibition. This book is the best for
learning the art Many boys have done so from its instruction, and
have exhibited to us specimens of their accomplishments. Any buy
can learn by intelligent practice with its aid. No one can become a
ventriloquist by merely reading. It tells also how to make the " magic
whistle,^ for imitating birds, animals, insects, etc 15 cts.
Haney's Readings and Recitations,— For professional
and amateur readers and reciters, and for school practice and exhibi-
tion. Fourteen books now ready, all different , any one will suit you.
[contents of each book mailed on apphcation ] Price of each . . 25 cts.
EXCELSIOR PUBLISHING HOUSE, 29 & 31 Beekman St., New York, N.Y.
P O Box 1144.
hiewand Popular Books sent Free of Postage at Prices Annexed.
Haney's Fancy Alphabets.— For sign painters. This
work meets a want It ^ives the fashionable styles of the day and oriff
iual designs of great beauty and utility Sign painters who want the
novelties of New York experts should get this work. It will help you
to keep customera and get uew cues 50 cts.
Home Recreations ; or, How to Amuse the Young Folks —
Designed to afford fresh and agreeable enteriannnent for juvenile par-
ties, holidays, and the home circle. It will give many pleasant hours
and keep young folks out of mischief, and make them find employment,
in their home circle contentedly Parents, get a copy by all means
Illustrated ... 25 cts.
Horse-Shoer's Manual.— Includes preparation of foot,
choice of shoes and their preparation, fitting, filing, nails and nailing,
shoeing with leather, cuttmg, removing, etc. Also, Youatts Treatise
on Diseases of Horses' Feet. Bonner's famous horse, Dexter, owed
much of his value to good shoeing, and with all horses it is of grave
importance. This book should be in the hands of every professional
horse-shoer, and every horse-owner , . , , . . 25 cts.
Houdin the Conjurer.— This life of the famous French
Conjurer is full of interesting adventures, "more fascinating than fic-
tion." Illustrated witli numerous engravings 50cts.
How I Became a Ventriloquist.— Describing the methods
by which the author acquired the amusing art, and also his diverting
experience therewith 10 cts.
How to Make Up for the Stage. — A practical illustrated
guide for amateur theatricals, charades, tableaux, etc. This is invalu
able to any one getting up, or participating in, any of these entertain-
ments - 15 cts.
Humors of Ventriloquism. — Full of the most entertain-
ing and laughable scenes, etc 10 cts.
Hunters and Trappers' Practical Guide— This little
book has immen.se sale, and gives satisfaction every time. It is a prac-
tical guide to gunning and rifle shooting, tells how to choose arms and
ammunition, about different kinds of game, making and using traps,
snares, and nets, baits and baiting traihng game, preserving, dressing,
tanning, and dyeing skins and furs ; season for trapping, hints to trap
pers, fire hunting, pigeon catching, camping out; sporting vocabulary,
recipes for sportsmen, secret of successful fishing. It has more in-
formation than books costing $1 to $2, and must not be confounded
with any catchpenny. It has fifty engravings 20 cts.
Impromptu Speaker. — This is not a collection of set
speeches, but guides the speaker in making his own. To point out the
requirements of all ordinary occasions of impromptu speech-making,
and to afford such aid as may be useful, are the aims of this little trea-
tise. While avoiding formal rules and elaborate disquisitions, care
will be taken to show clearly the things to avoid, as well as the things
to strive for in both the matter and the manner of the speech, and the
particular points of etiquette to be observed . "25 cts.
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Comicalities by Orpheus C. Kerr.— A capital work "by
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Common Sense Cook Book. — A large and excellent col
lection of approved cooking and domestic recipes 25 cts.
Infant Star Speaker. — A collection of choicest pieces for
little speakers, adapted to diff.-^rent stj^les and abilities, A valuable
feature of this book is the instruction on training and managing tlie
little speakers, and how to make the most effective appearance at
school receptions and exhibitions 25 cts.
Joe Green's Trip to New York.— A highly diverting
account of a stranger's amusing haps and mishaps in the metropohs.
Illustrated 10 cts.
Lessons in Horse Judging. — A practical guide for dealers
and buyers, by which any intelligent person may become a good judge
of horses 50 cts.
Manual of Hair Ornaments.— For jewelry or souvenirs.
A guide for a tasteful recreation for leisure hours, and a source of
profitable employment for jewelers and others. This book gives full
directions whereby any one can acquire the art. The book is illustrated
with over eighty explanatory engravings and beautiful designs for
work... 50 els.
Marine and Landscape Painting in Oil.— A practical
guide, fully illustrated 50 cts.
Marine and Landscape Painting in Water-Colors.—
A practical guide, fully illustrated 50 cts.
Marvels and Mysteries of Detective Adventure.— A
collection of thrilling and interesting stories of the detectives. Illus-
trated 25 cts.
Mind Reading. — A practical explanation of the curious
phenomena exhibited by " Brown, the Mind Reader," enabling any one
to perform the experiiMcnts. Illustrated 15 cts.
Nightside of New York.— This book is a vivid and truth-
ful portrayal of the great city after the gas is lighted. It presents hitrh
and low life as they actually are; the fashionable life and life in the
slums. It does not seek sensationalism, nor to draw on fancy f.)r its
matter. "Truth is stranger than fiction." Illustrated 25 cts.
Practical Mesmerist,The.— A plain and practical illustrat-
ed solf-instruotor in Curative and Scientific Mesmerism, teaching how the
reader m«y acquire and practice the art; how to detect disease, to
retard or accelerate the circulation of blood, to cure headache, rheu-
matism, tic doloreau, mental disorders, paralysis, spinal disease c orn-
plaints of lung, liver, heart, and stomach, etc.; introvision, or power
of looking into the body, clairvoyance, mesmerized water, i o make a
person subject to your will or command, and manv curious e.xperi-
ments. Third edition, with much important additional matter, with
numerous illustrations 25 cts.
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Painter's Manual. -A complete practical guide to house
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ing, lettering, staining, giltling. glazing, silvering, analysis of colors,
harmony, contrast, philosopiij', tlieory, and practice of color, princi-
Files of glass staining, etc. Including a new and valuable treatise on
low to Mix Paints. This book is the best general treatise on the paint-
er's trade yet written, and gives the information really wanted. Ex-
pcri.Miced painters have repeatedly borne witness to its value, and have
found hints and helps which they had not happened to learn with years
of practice. To the learuer the book is simply indispensable 50 cts.
Phonographic Hand-Book.— For self-instruction in the
modern improved system, used by practical reporters in the courts of
law and on the newspapers. It unites simplicity with thoroughness,
and is the best work for beginuers XJ5 cts.
Rapid Reckoning,— System of the famous "Lightning
Calculator," whose exhibitions seemed almost miraculous; any one can
learn and apply; valuable to clerks, bookkeepers, teachers, and busi
ness men. 'This is not a gift, but a scientific process. * ♦ * It will
be of immense advantage in trade, commerce, and science, and revolu
tioiiize the tedious mode of addition throughout the world."— X 1'
Tribune. It is not a '" table book," but the art of performing arithmet
ical calculations with almost instantaneous speed by processes fully
taught and easily learned by this book 25 cts
Rogues and Rogueries of New York.— Exposes all
frauds and swindles of the great cities, from confidence operators to
quack doctors, and swindlfs and humbugs by mail. Nearly 100, UOO cop
ies hav^ been sold, and it has broken up many swindles. It is highly in
teresting, as well as valuable. If you haveu't read it, don't fail to do
so. Illustrated 25 cts.
Royal Society Dra"wing Book.— This book took the prize
offered for the best bj' the London Society of Arts. It advances the
learner radidly., at the same time making him thorough in all he learns.
It is adapted to self instruction or use in classes. It has the quickest
and best methods, clearly presented. Its instructions are exact and
always to the point, and so clear that the learner cannot go astray. It
is profusely illustrated, covering the whole ground of Freehand Out-
line from Outline or from the Flat, Freehand Outline from Objects or
from the Round, and Practice of Free-hand Outline from Solids and
Real Objects. If j'ou want to learn drawing understandingly and cor
rectly as %\ell as rapidly, this is the proper guide 50 cts.
Scene Painting and Painting in Distemper.— This
work gives not only full instructions in the preparation of the colors,
drawiujg for scene painters, stage settings, but also useful information
regarding stage appliances and effects. It has numerous illustrative
diagrams and engravings $1.00
Secrets Worth Knowing.— A guide to the manufactm-e
of hundreds of useful and salable articles, including patent medicines,
perfumery, toilet, and dental articles, and many others easily made at
trifling cost; .selhug readily at large proflt. A single article may afford
livelihood to person making and introducing to the public ; storekeep-
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money in any community 25 cts.
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Second Sight. — A guide to performing this famous feat as
practiced by Heller and other Conjurers, adapted to parlor or school
exhibitions, with a new method of performing never before published,
far more easy of performance and bewildering in its effect upon an
audience : 15 cts
Self Cure ofDehilitY,— Including Consumption, Dyspepsia,
Nervousness, etc. Advertises no doctor or medicine, but gives full and
plain instructions for self cure by simple means within reach of all,
which will cost nothing, and are the surest, safe, and quickest methods
of cure. Dangers of advertised modes of treatment, quack nostrums,
etc., are pointed out. It will do more than anything else to break up
quackery, for it tells the truth, and quackery thrives on false-
hood , , 75 cts.
Self Cure of Liquor and Opium Habits.— TMs book ex-
poses dangers and fallacies of advertised modes of treatment and
quack nostrums, and gives the best and most successful treatment
known. This book gives recipes for preparations which can be given
in tea, coffee, or other fluid unknown to the drinker, to cure the liquor
habit. These preparations are advertised and sold at high prices 75 cts
Self Cure of Stammering'. — The most approved and suc-
cessful methods of Self- Treatment, with exposures of empirical and
dangerous devices. By aid of this book many sufferers have overcome
embarrassing impediments, and its information is the stock in trade of
sevei-al "schools" and 'professors," who are doing a lucrative busi
ness , 25 cts
Sign, Carriage, and Decorative Painting.— This book
is the combined work of several prominent painters, and is full of valu
able points upon the several branches of the trade, very complete It
includes Fresco and Car painting, and other useful matters. . . 50 cts
Sign Writing and Glass Embossing —This standard
work, so widely and favorablj' known is now is.sued in new edition,
with newly engraved illustrations, and at a greatly reduced price
This work is too well known to the trade to need eulogy at our hands.
It has been long regarded as a standard work and invaluable to every
one interested in its line .. 75 cts.
Slow Horses Made Fast, and Fast Horses Made Faster.
— S.vstem of increasing speed practised by the most famous and sue
cessf ul horsemen. Endorsed by Robert Bonner Esq. Illustrated, 50 cts.
Sketching from Nature in Pencil and Water Colors
—This is an excellent work for young art students , full of practical
information, which they will find clearly presented. Illustrated 50 cts
Snares of New York. — The most complete exposure of
the perils and pitfalls of this city, the clever devices of wily men and
women to entrap the innocent or the stranger, and the traps of swin
dledom high and low. A mammoth double-column volume of nearly
200 pages, profusely illustrated 50 cts,
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New and Popular Books sent Free of Postage at Prices Annexed,
Soap-Maker's Manual.— Plain and practical giiido for the
manufacturp of plain and fancy s()ai)s, washinpr fluids, medicinal soaps,
toilet preparations, slia\ ing soaps cind creams, soap powdens, etc . f(;r
families and manufacturers. Has best American, Lnglisli, French, and
German formulas. Any family in theC country can make good soap at
trifling cost .. ;ij cts
Spirit Mysteries Exposed.— A complete exposition of
all the marvelous feats of the "spirit rappers "' and "mediums, ' Daven
ports, Hume, etc., so fully laid bare that any one can perform. The
young folks can astonish and amuse their companions and friends by
exhibitions of these mysterious doings, doing the wonders seen at
private and public seances. Illustrated 15 cts.
Standard Sign Writer, The.— This book is very generally
recognized as the standard work on the subject. Its instructions are
clear, precise, and practical, and cover just tue ground desired by most
of the profession It is divided into two parts, the first giving detailed
instructions for the different styles of lettering according to the prac-
tices most approved by the best practical sign writers. The second
part consists of a variety of large engraved plates, designed especially
for this work, and giving some of the best styles of lettering, model
alphabets, designs for signs, and other things of interest to the profes-
sion $2.00
Standard Scroll Book. The.— This is a collection of upward
of two hundred designs suitable for painters, jewelers, designers, deco
rators, draughtsmen, and almost every branch requiring ornamental
scroll work Prominent features in this book are the Shaded scrolls and
the designs for iSigns, Wagons, and Omnibuses $1.00
Standard Irish Readings.— Gives choicest selections in
prose and verse, many rare ones, suited to recitation or public reading.
While specially interesting to Irish people, many of the pieces are well
adapted to general use, being very fine 25 cts.
Taxidermist's Manual.— This is the only complete and
practical work giving full and plain instructions for collecting, pre-
paring, preserving, stufting and mounting all bird.-;, animals, and in-
sects . - 50 cts.
Tricks on Travelers.— A little work exposing frauds
practised on travelers, and other information useful to strangers in
great cities.. Illustrated .. 15 cts.
TiDCle Si's Black Jokes.— This is one of the funniest
books you ever saw. It is quaint and curious, and real darkey humor.
Illustrated , 10 cts.
Use of Colors.— A valuable treatise on the properties of
different pigments and their suitableness to uses of artists and students.
Full of useful information • 2.jcts.
Watchmakers and Jewelers' Manual.— Gives latest
and most approved secrets of the trade, embracing watcl- and clock
cleaning and repairing, tempering in all its grades, making tools, com-
pounding metals, alloys, plating, etc., with plain instructior^ for
beginners. Greatly enlarged edition ^ cts.
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STANDARD PUBLICATIONS
ON ART, ARCHITECTURE, AGRICVLTURE, FIELD SPORTS. THE HORSE,
THE DOG, THE SHEEP, FISHING, AND RURAL LIFE.
Woodward's National Architect. Vol. I.— New edi-
tion. Complete in itself. 1000 Designs, all drawn to Working Scale,
Plans and Details for Country, Suburban, and Village Houses, with
Perspective Views, front and side elevations, sections, full details of
di-awings, specifications, and estimates. Price $7.50
Woodward's National Architect. Vol. II.— Complete
in itself. Embracing New and Original Designs, Plans, Elevations,
Sections, and Detail Di-awings to Working Scale for City and Country
Houses. 100 quarto plates. Price $7.50
Rural Church Architecture.— -0 Designs for Churches,
of Different Styles and Cost. Elevations, splendidly Chromo-Litho-
graphed in colors. By the following prominent architects : Upjohn,
Eenwick, Wheeler, Wells. Austin, Stone, Cleveland, Backus, Reeve, and
Eveleth. The only work published on low-priced Churches. $4.00
Eveleth's School-house Architecture.— Designs for
School-houses. Containing sixty-seven plates with Perspectives. Eleva-
tions, Plans, Sections, Details, and Specifications, all drawn to Working
Scale, with methods of Heating and Ventilation. Large quarto.
Price §4.00
Woodward's Cottages and Farm Houses.— 188 Designs
and Plans of low-priced Cottages, Farm Houses, and Out-Buildings.
12mo, fully illustrated. Price $1.00
Harney's Barns, Out-Buildings, and Fences.— Designs
and Plans of Stables, Farm Barns, Out-Buildings, Gates. Gate-
ways, Fences, Stable Fittings, and Furniture, fully described, with
nearly 2J0 illustrations. Price S-100
Monckton's National Stair-Builder.— A Complete Work
on Stair-Building and Hand-Railing. Fully explained and illustrated
by Large Scale Diagrams, in two colors, with Designs for Stair-Cases,
Newels, Balusters, and Hand-Rails. Royal quarto, extra cloth.
Price $5.00
Monckton's National Carpenter and Joiner.— A Com-
plete work, covering the whole science of Carjit^ntery, Joinery. Roofing,
Framing, etc. Fully explained and illustrated by large Scale Diagnuns,
in two colors. Royal quarto, extra cloth binding. Price $.j.00
Wheeler's Homes for the People.— lOO Original Designs,
with full Descriptions and Constructive and Miscellaneous Details.
Price $-• W
Wheeler's Rural Home.— Original Plans and Designs,
and full directions for Designing, Building, Heating, Furnishing, and
Form of Contract and Specification. Price §1.50
Jacques's Manual of the House.— How to Build Dwell-
ings, Barns, Stables, and Out-Buildings of all kinds. 126 Designs and
Plans. Very full and complete. Price $1.00
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Woodward's Suburban and Country Houses.— 7o
Designs and Plans, and niunei'ou.s examples of the French Roof, with a
coniplpte si't of SpecilK-ations, Hints on Huildiiipr. and Essays on H<-at-
iuj^aiul VLMitilation. l-'uio, tuUy illustrated. Price $1.00
Woodward's Country Homes.— 150 Designs and Plans,
with description of the manner of constructing Balloon Frames. Extra
cloth binding, illustrated. Price $1.00
Woodward's Graperies and Horticultural Buildings.
—Designs and Plans of Hot Beds, Cold Pits, Propagating Houses, Forc-
ing Houses, Hot and Cold Graperies, Green Houses, Conservatories,
Orchard Houses, etc., with the various modes of Ventilating and Heat-
ing. Price gl . 00
Hussey's National Cottage Architecture.— New and
Original Designs, Working Scale Drawings, and details for all styles of
low-priced Houses, with Specifications and Costs. Royal quarto.
Price S 1.00
GRAPE CULTURE.
Husmann's Grapes and Wine. — The Cultivation of the
Native Grape and Manufacture of American Wine. Bi' Geo. Husmann,
of Missouri. Price Sl.OJ
Phin's Open Air Grape Culture; or, Garden and Vine-
yard Culture of Grapes and Wine.— A Complete Practical Treatise on
the management of the Vine and the Fruit. New edition, revised.
Price $1 .00
The Thomery System of Grape Culture.— Describing
the Cultivation of the Grape on Trellises in Northern and Central
France. Flexible cloth. Price 30 cts.
STANDARD WORKS ON AGRICULTURE.
Randall's Practical Shepherd.— New edition. Extra Fine
Binding. A Complete Treatise on the Breeding, Management, and
Diseases of Sheep. By Henrv S. Randall, LL.D., author of "Sheep
Husbandry in the South," "Fine Wool Sheep Husbandry," etc., etc.
Very fully illustrated . Extra cloth binding. 8vo . Price S^ • 00
Lewis's Practical Poultry Book.-A work on the Breeds,
Breeding, Rearing, and General Management of Poultry, with full in-
structions for Caponizing. Over 100 engravings. 8vo. Extra cloth
binding. Price Si. 50
Miner's Domestic Poultry Book.— On the History,
Breeding, and Management of Foreign and Domestic Fowls. New edi-
tion. Very fully illustrated. 12mo. Price SI 00
Jacques's Manual of the Garden, Farm, and Barn-yard.
—Embracing the Cultivation of Vegetables, Fruit. Flowers, all Field
Crops, Details of Farm Work, and Rearing Domestic Animals. New
and revised edition. One volume. Price $1.50
EXCELSIOR PUBLISHING HOUSE, 29 & 31 Beakman St., New York, N.Y.
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New and Popular Books sent Free of Postage at Prices Annexed.
Todd's Young Farmer's Manual. Vol. I.— The Farm
and the Workshop, with Practical Directions for laying out a Farm
Erecting Buildings, Fences, Farm Gates, Selecting good Farm and
Shop Tools, and Performing Farm Operations. Fully illusti-ated
Price .
.$1.50
Todd's Young Farmer's Manual. Vol. II.— How to
make Farming Pay, with full Details of Farm Management, Character
of SoQs, Plowmg, Management of Grass Lands, 3Iauures, Farna Imple
ments, Stock, Drainage, Planting, Harvesting, etc. Illustrated
Pi'ice §1 50
Todd's Young Farmer's Manual. Vol. III.— Being the
Practical Results of Forty Years' Experience in Wheat Culture, with
full information on Soils, Varieties, Methods of Cultivation, Machinery,
Diseases, etc. 43.> pages. Illustrated. Price Si. 50
The above three volumes form a Complete Library for the Young
Farmer, at a very low price. Any volume supplied separate, if de-
sired.
Elliott's Lawn and Shade Trees.— For Planting Parks,
Gardens, Cemeteries, Private Grounds, and Avenues. Fully illus-
trated $1.00
Fuller's Forest Tree Culturist.— The Cultivation of For-
est Trees for Shade, for Shelter, for Fuel, for Timber, and for Profit.
Illustrated. Extra cloth binding. Price §1.00
Willard's Practical Dairy Husbandry —New edition.
Over 200 illustrations. A Complete Treatise on Dairy Farms and Farm-
ing ; Dairy Stock and Stock Feedmg ; Milk ; Its Management and
Manufacture into Butter and Cheese ; History and Mode of Organ-
ization of Butter and Cheese Factories; Dairy JJtensils, etc. Price, $-i.00
Willard's Practical Butter Book.— A Complete Treatise
on Butter Making at Factories and Farm Dairies, including the Selec-
tion, Feeding, and Management of Stock for Butter Dairying, with Plans
for Dairy-rooms and Creameries, Dairy Fixtures,Utensils, etc. 50 illus-
trations. Price Si LH)
Ten Acres Enough. — A Practical Treatise, showing how
a very small farm may be made to support a very large family, with
full and minute instructions as to the best mode of Cultivating the
Smaller Fruits, such as Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, etc.
Also, what capital is needed ; where the man of small means should
locate to secure the most profit : how he should go to work, and what
he can do when beginning in a small way. Price §1 00
How to Get a Farm and Where to Find One.— Showing
that Homesteads may be had by those desirous of securing them, with
the public Law on the subject of Free Homes, and suggestions f rt.im
Practical Farmers. Fully illustrated, cloth, extra. Price $1.00
Our Farm of Four Acres, and the Money We Made by
It. 1 vol. 12mo. Cloth 60cts.
" A Practical and Interesting Volume."
Flax Culture. — A Manual of Flax Culture and Manufact-
ure, with Directions for Preparing Ground, Sowing and Harvesting, in-
cluding Hemp and Flax Culture in the West, and Preparation for Mar-
ket. 8vo, paper. Price 10 cts.
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STANDARD PUBLICATIONS ON THE HORSE.
A New Edition of Frank Forester's Horse of America
—By Henry W, Herbert. In two superb royal octavo volumes of VMi
pages, with steelcngraved original portraits of thirty celebrated rep-
resentative Horses. This Standard Historical work has been thor-
oughly revised, newly written, compiled, and perfected by S. D. and B.
G. Bruce. Price $15.00
Wallace's American Trotting Register- Containing all
that is known of the Pe'ligrees of Trotting Horses, their Ancestors and
Dt'scendants, with a Record uf all pul)lished performances in which a
mile was trotted or paced in i2.40 or less, from the eailiest dates till the
close of Ist'S, and a full Record of the performances of IHOUand 1870.
Giving complete summaries of over six thousand contests. With an
Introductory Essaj' on the true origin of the American Trotter, and a
set of Rules for the Government of all Trials of Speed. By J. H. Wal-
lace. Royal octavo. Price $10 00
Horse Portraiture.— Breeding, Rearing, and Training
Trotters. Preparations for Races ; Management in the Stable ; On the
Track ; Horse Life, etc. By Joseph Cairn Simpson. Price $2.00
Wallace's American Stud Book. —Being a Compilation of
the Pedigrees of American and Imported Blood Horses, from the earli-
est records, with an Appendix of all named animals without extended
Pedigrees prior to the year 1840, and a supplement containing a history
of all Horses and Mares that have trotted in public, from the earliest
trotting races till the close of 1S6(J. By J. H. Wallace. Royal 8vo,
lOOOpages. Price $15.00
FIELD SPORTS.
Frank Forester's Field Sports.— Embracing the Game of
North America. Upland Shooting, Bay Shooting, Wild Sporting of the
Wilderness, Forest, Prairie, and Mountain Sports, Bear Hunting, Tur-
key Shooting, etc. Fourteenth edition, revised and illustrated. ~ vols.,
8vo. Price $4.00
Frank Forester's Fish and Fishing.— 100 engravings.
Embracing a full illustrated description of the Game Fish of North
Amei ica. Trout and Salmon Fishing ; Shoal Water and Deep Sea
Fishing; Lake and River Fishing. Trolhng, Fly Fishing, etc. 12th
edition. 1 vol., 8vo. Full cloth. Price $^.50
Frank Forester's Complete Manual for Young Sports-
men, of Fowling, Fishing, and Field Sports— With directions for
handling the Gun, tiie Rifle, and the Rod : Art of Shooting on the
Wing ; the Breaking, Management, and the Hunting of the Dog ; the
varieties of Game ; River, Lake, and Sea Fishing. 1 vol., 8vo.
Price S2.00
Frank Forester's American Game in' its Seasons.—
Ful'.v illustrated and described. In one elegant 12mo volume, beau-
tifully printed on laid tinted paper, handsome extra cloth binding $1.50
Fishing in American Waters,— By Genio C. Scott. New
and revised edition, with additional chapters on Southern and
Miscellaneous Fishes, etc. lUu.strated with more than 200 wood en-
gravings. This book is the recognized Standard Authority for Ameri-
can Anglers and Fishermen, embracing Coast and Estuary Fishing
with Rod and Line, Fresh Water Fishing with Fly and Bait, Natural
History of American Fishes, Lake and Coast Fish and Fisheries,
Southern Fishes and How Angled for. Cookery Adapted to the Re-
sources of Sportsmen in the Wilderness or on the Wave, etc. One vol-
ume, 539 pages, 2vS engravings. Handsomely bound in extra cloth.
Price ^2 50
EXCELSIOR PUBLISHING HOUSE, 29 & 31 Beekman St., New York, N.Y.
P. O. Box 1144.
New and Popular Books sent Pree of Postage at Prices Annexed.
The Breech-Loader.— By Glean. Description, Selection,
Manufacture, Separation, Loading, Cleaning. Shooting, etc. Price, gl.25
The Dog. — By Dinks, Mahew, and Hutchinson. Compiled
and edited by Frank Forester. Containing full instructions in all that
relates to the Breeding, Rearing, Breaking, Kenneling:, and Condition-
ing of Dogs, with valuable Recipes for the ti-eatment of all Diseases.
Illustrated. 1 vol., 8vo. Price ^3.00
Practical Trout Culture.— By J. H. Slack, M.D., Com-
missioner of Fisheries, New Jersey. Fullj' illustrated, and describing
all that is necessary to successful Trout Cultui-e. Price $1.00
The Dead Shot: The Gun; or, Sportsman's Complete
Guide. — A Treatise on the Use of the Gun, with Rudimentary and Fin-
ishing Lessons in the Art of Shooting Game. By "Marksman."
Price gl.25
The Crack Shot: The Rifle; or, Young Rifleman's
Complete Guide— Being a Treatise on the Use of the Rifle, with Lessons,
including a full description of the latent ImprovL-d Breech-Loading
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CONTENTS.
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Grannie's Picture.
iHe Understood It.
iHorse or Husband ?
iHjw We Fou'Mit the Fire,
Brother Gardner ou Liars. In Der Shweed Long Ago.
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Ninety-eight.
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Not Opposed to Matri-
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On the Other Train.
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S'posin'.
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Trying to Lick the
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Occupant of Lower No. 3, That Woman Played De-
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I'.uilding and Being.
Charity Dinner, The.
Connor.
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Cuddle Doon.
Death of the Old Squire,
The.
DotBaby off Mine,
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Fashionable Schoolgirl
The.
Hie Last Court.
How "Ruby" Played.
How Sockery Set a Hen.
Jiners, The.
Justice in Leadville.
Knight's Toast, The.
Oration on the Labor To Draw or Not to Draw.
Question. Treadwater Jim.
Over the Hill from the Two Glasses, The.
Poor House. Uncle Ike's Roosters.
Over the Hill to the Poor What Intemperance Does
House. What Made Him Glad.
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Her Rival.
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Jack.
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What is a Gentleman ?
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Wounded.
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Don't be Tazing Me.
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