Points of a Horse
1—The Ear. 2—The Poll. 3—The Forehead. 4—The Nose. 5—The Nostril. 6—The Lip. 7—The Cheek. 8—The Crest. 9—Side of Neck. 10—Lower Border of Neck. 11—The Shoulder. 12—The Withers. 13—The Brisket. 14—The Arm. 15—The Forearm. 16—The Elbow. 17—The Chestnut. 18—The Knee. 19—The Canon. 20—The Fetlock. 21—The Pastern. 22—The Coronet. 23—The Hoof. 24—The Back. 25—The Loins. 26—The Croup. 27—The Buttock. 28—The First Thigh. 29—The Second Thigh. 30—The Gaskin. 31—Point of Hock. 32—The Inner Face of Hock. 33—Hinder Canon. 34—Near Hind Fetlock. 35—Near Hind Pastern. 36—Ribs and Chest Wall. 38—Inner Side of Thigh. 39—Throat. 40—Top Line of Body. 41—Position of Ergot on Fetlock. 42—Stifle.
With regard to the prices charged by reputable dealers, one must bear in mind the value of a horse’s education, all the chances of sickness and of the development of unsoundness which the dealer has had to take, the great expense of a dealer’s establishment in a large city, and the many hands through which a horse has probably passed before he has come into the dealer’s possession. There is not only the first cost of the horse but also the expense of shipping him from the country—where he was raised—into the city; the cost of keeping him there until he is conditioned and has passed through the dangers of acclimatization—that is, sickness caused by change of climate, of water, etc.—the risk of breaking him to unaccustomed sights, and the long period of training and developing into a schooled and mannered saddle horse.
Lady’s Western Park Hack (Pink Lady)
Once the type has been decided on, whether it is a riding horse, a driving horse, or a combination horse, the buyer must next determine whether she knows enough to be able to trust to her own judgment, and, if not, whether she knows some one who has sufficient knowledge to be able to advise her or whether she must rely entirely upon the dealer.
She must, of course, be sure that any one on whose advice she relies not only has sufficient knowledge but is entirely disinterested. If you decide to rely on a dealer, it is far the best way to pick out your dealer, go to him, and then, if he has not just what you want, ask him to get it for you instead of going yourself to other dealers. This not only saves time, but the dealer has a very much wider choice than you could
possibly have yourself, and it is my experience that by this method you will not have to pay any more than you would if you went straight to the dealer who has the animal that you want.
In buying a high-priced horse I would be sure that he carried out all the conditions demanded by his type: that he possessed beauty and good conformation, that he was free from blemish, that his manners were perfect, his disposition good, and his age not less than five nor more than eight. A horse younger than five is little more than a colt and more liable to injury and blemish than an aged horse, and eight years is a good boundary age, not only from a point of usefulness, but as a matter of investment as well. There is a popular prejudice against paying a big price for an aged horse (“aged” being the term applied to a horse after his eighth year); that is, unless he is a show animal with a list of winnings to his credit and bought to be shown.
A horse to have good conformation should show a niceness of proportion in all his parts. Conformation in a saddle horse calls for a nice head, and a long, flexible, and crested neck—never a ewe-neck. Looking from the withers downward he should present a narrow appearance, for sharp, well-defined withers are most necessary for the proper carrying of a side-saddle, while gradually sloping shoulders hold the