"He was a horse of goodly countenance, rather expressive of vigilance than fire; though an unnatural appearance of fierceness was thrown into it by the loss of his ears, which had been cropped pretty close to his head"

This quote is describing a horse of goodly countenance, implying that it had a pleasing appearance. The horse was more watchful than fiery, suggesting that it was more alert and watchful than spirited and energetic. Nevertheless, the horse had an unnatural look of fierceness due to the truth that its ears had actually been cropped close to its head. This was a common practice in the past, as it was thought that it would make the horse more workable and less likely to surprise. The quote suggests that the horse was still quite alert and watchful, in spite of its cropped ears. The quote likewise implies that the horse had a certain level of strength and power, as it had the ability to keep its alertness in spite of its cropped ears. In general, this quote paints a picture of a strong and powerful horse that was still rather alert and watchful.