On Beauty

To me, this is the ultimate example of how things can apply in more than one place. I was looking for a picture that would illustrate one of my favorite Shakespeare quotes. See if you've ever heard these famous lines:

Round-hoof'd, short-jointed, fetlocks shag and long,
Broad breast, full eye, small head and nostril wide,
High crest, short ears, straight legs and passing strong,
Thin mane, thick tail, broad buttock, tender hide....

Well, as you can see, the horse pictured doesn't display all the above-mentioned conformation. A few fit, of course--the high crest and small head, for example, are typical of many wellbred horses. But the horse Shakespeare was describing was of the Spanish type, with long feathers and a chunkier build than this Arab.

Yet beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as I've said before, and while I still generally prefer Spanish horses, this horse reminded me of the last lines of the above stanza:

Look, what a horse should have he did not lack,
Save a proud rider on so proud a back.