180 THE HORSE 



defined and wiry, and with this proviso cannot be too large. 

 A wiry leg is always to be preferred to a larger one which 

 is round and gummy, as it will stand twice the amount of 

 work. The eye is apt to be deceived as to the size of a leg, 

 according as there is harsh or silky hair, and even amongst 

 thoroughbreds the tape often tells a different tale to what 

 is expected. The tape is, however, a rock on which many 

 persons get wrecked who pin their faith on so many inches 

 below the knee, for the reasons already stated, the practical 

 man requiring a leg likely to do its work, irrespective of 

 how much it will measure. Moreover, the correct measure- 

 ment of a leg is not so easily made as may be imagined. 

 If taken too close to the knee a portion of the latter may 

 be included ; or if the tape is not drawn sufficiently tight 

 an increase of half an inch, or more, may easily be added 

 to the real amount. If the tape is placed about two inches 

 below the knee, and drawn fairly tight, the statements of 

 owners, and interested helpers, have a way of not tallying 

 with the measurement by a person whose only object is to 

 get at the truth. One often hears of a horse having so 

 many inches of bone, but almost all bone is of sufficient 

 bulk to sustain the weight, and it is the size of the sinews 

 which is important, they being the ropes which move the 

 bones. The cannon, or shank-bone, should, however, be 

 of fair dimensions, and though round in front of the shin 

 should be almost flat at the sides narrowing somewhat 

 towards the back, after the fashion of a razor. 



The fetlocks should be clean, and without windgalls, 

 which betray a soft condition, although they are not often 

 very troublesome except to an animal in training, for then 

 they cause more or less stiffness, and prevent the horse 

 striding out to his full capacity. The pasterns should 

 neither be plumb upright nor too sloping, the former 

 formation soon causing the animal to become stilty in its 

 action, especially when the ground is hard ; and in deep 

 ground they are most unsuitable, it being found by 

 experience that horses with upright pasterns cannot " get 

 through dirt." Pasterns sloping too much are also unsuited 

 to deep going, though their very elasticity is a recommenda- 



