From The Training and Management of Horses by J.P.F. Bell, published 1904.
The colt should be in possession of a small head, broad between the eyes, clean, open jaws, and a small, tapering 
muzzle. His eyes should be full, generous, and prominent, showing plenty of fire when the colt is put upon his mettle. His ears should be small, tapering, and inclining towards each other at the tips when erect. His nostrils should be delicate and curved, with broad, expansive cavities, and when distended they should appear almost transparent at the edges. His neck should be long, lean, and planted on a set of oblique shoulders, with good play. He should have a moderately long, straight back, with strong, well-developed, muscular quarters. He should be deep-chested rather than broad, because if he is very broad in the chest he will never be fast, though he may be able to stay. His fore-legs should be well set on, clean, bony, flat, and free from splints and side-bones, while they should not be too long from the knees to the pasterns. The knees should be flat and fairly large, while the pasterns should be moderately long and elastic, to insure easy springing action. His feet should be well spread and proportionate, well hollowed beneath, and the hoofs tough, sound, and durable. The hind-legs should be well united to the quarters, flat, clean, and hard as whalebone, with strong, symmetrical hocks, and free from curbs and spavins. The forelock, mane, and tail should be soft, silky, and fine, while the tips at the fetlocks should be so delicate as almost to be imperceptible. Curls and waves in the hair are generally suggestive of under-breeding.
No objection should be made to the colour of a colt if he can gallop fast enough and stay the required distance, but a racehorse always looks more furnished with a good blaze of white between the eyes, while a white stocking or two generally lend style to his appearance; but chacun à son goût.
Sound like anyone you know?
(Illustrating those first two sentences: Eldar HD [Trilogy x Jonquil CF by Ibn Alamein].)
Ambar, this is great post! It’s a perfectly clear check-list for someone looking for a colt, but not an expert in knowing everything to look for. Sound like someone? Me!! 🙂 Thank you.
I do think the “small head” that the writer recommends can be taken too far, because I have seen Arabian show horses with heads so short and small that they looked like pony heads on horse bodies.
Elena, remember this is an English author writing about the points of the English Thoroughbred. I think it is a fair description of a good Arabian, though I would change the moderately long back to one moderately short. I’ve also never heard anyone complain about a too-broad chest in an Arabian.
Ah…I wondered about that and then thought the word “thoroughbred” was being substituted for “purebred.” I must have skipped over the long back part, but I did wonder about the small head bit..although in light of the Thoroughbred it makes more sense.
I continue to serenely display my ignorance here and am always grateful when someone takes the time to correct me without sneering. 🙂 Very nice people on this blog!