The cob is a strong little horse, about 14hds. high, and of various descriptions. The better class are bred principally in Norfolk or Lincolnshire. When well bred and good-looking, with action, they are not only very useful, but very valuable for carrying heavy and elderly men, as, being low, they are easy to get on and off. A good cob must have a good head, a strong but not heavy neck, good oblique and very strong shoulders, not loaded at the top or points, a deep round body, good loin, and strong muscular quarters and thighs - short, flat, firm legs, and good round feet: he should walk freely and well; step sharp and high in the trot, and canter safely and freely; if, in addition to these qualifications, he is quiet, and does not shy or stumble, he is invaluable. A great many are bred in Wales, but by far the best come from Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and the North, where much more attention is paid to breeding them, and more care is taken of them than in Wales, where they run wild on the hills till they are three or four years old, when they are sent over into England in droves to be sold at the different fairs and markets.

The faults to be avoided in purchasing a cob are upright shoulders, want of courage, and want of action. Particular attention must be paid to the shoulders - that they are well-formed and oblique; many horses of this class having low, upright shoulders, which renders them valueless as riding cobs, and useful only for harness purposes - nothing being so uncomfortable and looking so ugly as riding on the top of the shoulders instead of well behind them, which must necessarily be the case with straight, low shoulders. In fact, the value of a cob depends almost entirely on his shoulders and action; for whereas in the one case he would be only worth 30/., in the other he might be worth 120/., or even more. Some very fast trotting cobs are bred in Wales, but they are mostly deficient in style and quality, though they can go a great pace. As a rule, Welsh horses are much better than they appear to be: they are hardy, useful, and strong, and will stand a great amount of work; and, in addition, can generally be bought at a price suitable for those who want a useful animal at a moderate price in preference to a showy and expensive one.

The next variety we will notice is the pony; and there are various sorts, or rather kinds, named after the counties and localities in which they are bred - as the Welsh, the Scotch, the Exmoor, New Forest, Shetland, etc. They are all rough, strong, and hardy animals, varying in height from I2hds. to I4hds., doing a great amount of hard work at a small expense for keep, etc. Though for the most part well bred, they are generally deficient about their shoulders, which are low and upright, like those of most ponies. They are of no value for general riding purposes, except to carry children, and are principally used to go in light harness, in which they will do an amount of work almost incredible if properly cared for. They are sure-footed and fast, if not overweighted, and some make first-rate shooting ponies; but they rarely grow to much value. The Welsh ponies grow to a larger size than the other sorts I have mentioned, and in all there is a marked improvement of late years, owing to small, thoroughbred stallions having been sent into the different districts for the purpose of improving the breeds.

The prices would vary from 15/. to 30/., according to circumstances, age, action, etc.

The Shetland pony is the smallest of his class, seldom exceeding 10 1/2hds. high, some never growing above 9hds. high. They are like dray-horses in miniature, are very strong, active, and hardy; have small heads, good shoulders, capital backs and quarters, and from their great beauty, combined with general good temper and docility, are well calculated for the use of children. They are too small for any other purpose, except for drawing a small chaise. Some are very fast and enduring. I once knew one only 10hds. high, that had trotted ten miles within the hour in harness.

Defects in the Horse, which, while they Lessen his Value, do not interfere with his Usefulness and Ability to Work.

Crib-biting is a defect, or rather a bad habit (some call it unsoundness), to which many men have a great objection. The horse seizes the top of the manger, rack, or anything he can take hold of with his teeth, and sucks in the wind with a grunting noise. In some it at times produces indigestion and flatulency, but upon the generality it seems to have no injurious effect whatever. It is incurable, but may to a certain extent be stopped by buckling a strap rather tightly round the upper part of the neck of the horse. This strap should be removed during feeding, and then be replaced. I have known many very good horses crib-biters, but never one that it in any way affected, or stopped in his work. He should have plenty of good hay chaff with his corn, and but a small quantity of hay at a time in the rack.

Wind-sucking is only another form of the same bad habit. In this case the horse sucks in the wind without taking anything between his teeth. Like crib-biting it is incurable, but may be checked by putting a bit called "a whistle" into the mouth, which must be removed during feeding, and then at once replaced. The whistle is formed of a hollow iron tube about a foot long and an inch in diameter, open at each end, with three or four holes at equal distances in the tube. It is put into the mouth like a bit, and attached to a light strap over the ears, like a bridle-head. When the horse sucks in the wind it enters the iron tube through the three or four holes, and passes out at each end, instead of going down the throat. Horses that are slightly blemished, either in the knees, from any accident, or from firing, if sound will often do a great amount of work, and can be bought at a reasonable price - which to a man keeping horses rather for work than show is often a great consideration. They are intrinsically as good as if unblemished, though their market value is of course greatly reduced. For harness purposes I should not object to a whistler; many very good stylish horses are so.

It is detrimental and unpleasant in a riding horse; but in harness, with no weight on the back, the noise is so slight as to be inaudible, and does not in any way interfere with his work. In short, many horses are practically and workably sound that no veterinary surgeon would pass; and though really useful and often valuable, are consequently to be bought at a reduced price.