Horse

(hors.) [A.S. hors.] (Zool.) The Equus cab all us, a species of the fam. Equidæ, the most beautiful, graceful, and the most useful to man of all the Pachyderms. It is indigenous to the Old World, but has accompanied man, and become established in every quarter of the globe. Its varieties are very numerous. The Barbary or Arab horses are the most beautiful and the flee test; the largest and strongest are from the coasts of the North Sea; and the smallest from the north of Sweden and Corsica. In Africa, horses still maintain their original independence, and range at pleasure in herds of several hundreds, having always one or more as an advanced guard, to give an alarm at the approach of danger. This is expre ed by a sudden snorting, at which the main body gallops off with the most surprising swiftne . In South America there are wild horses, the descendants of those introduced by the Spaniards and Portuguese. In Arabia, almost every man po e es his horse, which lives in the same apartment with himself and family, and is considered as constituting an important part of it. It is fed with the most regular attention, is cleaned with an ince ant a iduity, and is never, on any account, ill-treated. The age of a horse under eight years old is generally to be known by his teeth. The black marks, or cavities denoting the age, are to be found in the corner front teeth adjoining the tu shes. At four years and a half old, the mark teeth are just visible above the gum, and the cavity is distinctly to be seen. At five, the remaining colt's teeth are shed, and the tu shes appear. At six, the tu shes are up, and appear white, small, and sharp, with a small circle of flesh growing near them; the horse's mouth is then completed, the corner teeth being filled up. At eight, the [s. 462]