saddle in place and go with good gaits and general handiness and quickness. The back should be in proportion to the rest of the horse, and short rather than long. A very long back is usually a sign of weakness and mars the general appearance, but nearly as bad is the back that is too short. This is generally accompanied by a very round barrel, flat withers, thick shoulders, and a general undesirable chunkiness. The sway-back and the roach-back must also be rejected. The former makes the proper adjustment of the saddle difficult and gives an awkward “dipping back feeling” to the rider, especially when posting. The roach-back is the other extreme and makes her feel as if she were dipping forward. The barrel should be well ribbed and the quarters must not slope nor the tail be set too low or the top line will be destroyed.
“Manners” in a horse mean perfection of training, fearlessness, and a will subservient to that of the rider, but do not mean a broken spirit. The spirit should be there, but it should be under control.
When you have found a horse that “pleases your eye,” have him shown to you at a walk, trot, and canter, which will give you an opportunity of studying his appearance in motion and his manners generally. While at his gaits look at him from in front and from behind as well as from the side; that is, have
him ridden toward you and away from you as well as past you at all his gaits. Have him change from the walk to the canter and see how quickly and readily he changes. Have him stand for a few minutes and have him backed for at least six steps, and then have him ridden a short distance at a fast canter and see how easily he reins down. Mount him yourself two or three times. A horse that will not stand quietly and that fusses while you mount and dismount is a nuisance; backing is a good test for rearing, and reining in quickly is usually a sign of a light mouth.
Never buy a puller; they are ruination to hands, pleasure, and temper; so see that the horse you are looking at is bitted lightly, that he wears the ordinary double bridle with curb bit and bridoon, and that the curb chain is not fastened too tight. Beware of animals that are shown to you with tight nosebands and tight curb chains, spoon bits, gag snaffles, etc.,—these are signs of “pullers.” Equally bad is the horse with no mouth at all, for he is often a rearer or a jibber. I like to see a horse trained to be ridden with an even pressure on both curb and snaffle, as described in the chapter on hands.
While the horse is being ridden for you to look at, watch closely how he handles himself; see that his
walk is free, his trot bold and well balanced, and his action true all-round. By this I mean that his hock action must be in keeping with his front action. A high-stepping horse will give you a good ride if he uses his hocks equally well, but a horse that is high-going in front and stiff and draggy in the hocks is impossible.
See that he neither “dishes out” nor “paddles,” and that he does not travel so closely that there is danger of his crossing his legs. Avoid the horse that stretches too far in front and “points” or “dwells,” for, except to a very good rider, these variations of the gait are uncomfortable. They also count against a horse in the show ring.
His training and the trueness of his way of going having been proved, he must next be tried for courage. If in the city, have him ridden past automobiles, trolley cars, steam drills, and elevated roads; if in the country, past automobiles, railroad trains, mowing machines, steam rollers, or any unusual or noisy object, and in both city and country see that he minds strange sounds, such as automobile horns, steam whistles, etc., no more than strange sights.
The trial having gone satisfactorily thus far, have him saddled with your own saddle and before mounting, ask the owner for points on the best way of riding him.