CONFORMATION 179 



approaches to the superior part of the shoulders, so much 

 shorter will the back be ... in any given and proportioned 

 length from the bosom of the horse to the setting on of 

 the dock, the nearer the superior points of the shoulders 

 approach to the quarters, so much better will the carcase 

 be to sustain and bring through the weight ; and as much 

 as the shoulders themselves prevail in depth, and the thighs 

 and quarters in length, so much greater will be the velocity 

 of the horse, because a greater purchase of ground is hereby 

 obtained at every stride." 



Certainly the most essential points of a horse were well 

 understood a hundred and fifty years ago ! They had 

 nothing to learn in this respect. 



A short, powerful back is to be looked for, but it should be 

 combined with well-developed quarters, for there must be 

 length somewhere and it should be found in them. A long- 

 backed horse frequently has short quarters. The horse must 

 also " stand over a great deal of ground," as the saying is, 

 there being plenty between the fore and hind limbs when the 

 horse is set properly on his legs, and not made to stand in 

 that ridiculous fashion beloved of grooms when displaying 

 their charges, with the fore-legs stretched out in front, and 

 the hind-legs straggling away behind, the idea being to give 

 a fictitious air of length. It cannot deceive anybody but 

 the very ignorant, whilst it gives the horse the appearance 

 of possessing one of the worst of faults, that of having his 

 hocks away from him. A horse should stand as fair and 

 true on his limbs as a table on its legs, and the more the 

 perpendicular is departed from the greater must be the 

 strain on some part or other, with every probability of it 

 giving way when much stress is put upon it. The forearm 

 must be long and muscular, and the elbow well clear of 

 the body. When the fore-foot is lifted up, and the knee 

 bent, the hoof should just clear the elbow. The knees must 

 be large, and neither arched nor bent back, but of the two 

 the former is to be preferred when the formation is natural, 

 since there is less stress caused to the back tendons, though 

 it may be a sign of weakness if the arching of the knees is 

 very much pronounced. The back tendons should be well 



