ORIGIN OF AMERICAN TROTTING HORSES 135 



the biceps, the latter forming the posterior border of the 

 haunch. If the quarters are long, broad, and well developed 

 generally, the owner of the animal may feel well satisfied 

 that the power needed is sufficiently supplied by nature ; 

 though it is to a great extent due to the extra development 

 in individuals of the especial muscles mentioned, that 

 superiority in speed is shown over their rivals. In this 

 respect attention should also be directed to the projecting 

 bone at the back of the hock, the os calcis or "point of 

 the hock," which acts as a lever to straighten the leg, 

 and is moved by the tendon Achilles and other tendons 

 arising from the muscles which clothe the upper part of the 

 limb. An increase in the length of the lever adds consider- 

 ably to the force of the spring. 



According to Mr. Helm, the Messengers "had a thigh, 

 and a length from hip to hock, that was exceedingly 

 uniform in its ratio — being a thigh of about 23 inches, and a 

 measure of 39 inches from hip to hock, in a horse of 

 15.2 or 15.3; but when the cross of the Clay and Bell- 

 founder horse — known as Sayer's Harry Clay — came in, 

 the length of thigh was slightly increased, while the other 

 line was extended to 40 and even 42 inches, with wonderful 

 uniformity." 



Hambletonian was 24 and 41 ; Lady Thorn, with a thigh 

 only 23 inches, was 42 inches from hip to hock. Smuggler 

 was 40 inches, and so also was Volunteer. " It will be 

 found, in a study of the trotters of the various families, that 

 those members of each family respectively generally excelled 

 which showed the greatest length in this line. ... I like 

 a thigh of fair, but not excessive length — 23 to 24 inches, 

 but no longer — and if a long one, then I want the hock well 

 let down — a long line from hip to hock, 24 and 40, or even 

 41 — but the long reach in this direction may also amount to 

 a dwelling action. Until it approaches that, I want to see 

 a horse's hock low down and far out behind when extended. 

 I don't like one that lifts his hock and strikes the cross-bar 

 of a sulky. Such fellows will display an excess of motion, 

 and trotters that show excessive motion in any respect have 

 a conformation that is unnecessarily exposed to wear 



