STUMBLING
—is so great an imperfection in a horse, that it affects his intrinsic worth, in proportion to the readiness with which it is perceived. Horses having short forehands, large heads, and thick shoulders, are the most subject to this defect of any other formation: those low at the point of the withers, (which is called being lower before than behind,) in addition to the deficiencies already mentioned, are the worst of stumblers; the whole forming such a combination of bad points, as not to leave one enlivening hope of reformation. A horse addicted to stumbling, occasions so many dreadful sensations to the rider, that he may almost as well encounter so many shocks of electricity. Those who unluckily get into possession of such, cannot separate too soon. The old sportsman never rides a stumbler more than once, which he thinks once too often.