274 THE FORE LIMB. 



Length of shoulder-blade is a valuable " point " in all 

 classes of horses. In the racer, considerable length of the 

 muscles which open and close the angle made by the 

 shoulder-blade and humerus, is conducive to speed. As 

 the size of a bone is, as a rule, proportionate to the thick- 

 ness of the muscles which are attached to it ; the length 

 of the shoulder-blade may generally be taken as a measure 

 of the strength of the muscles which connect it with the 

 trunk, and upon which the weight-bearing powers of the 

 animal are mainly dependent. Hence, a large shoulder- 

 blade is not only advantageous to the weight-carrier and 

 heavy cart-horse ; but it is also essential to the jumper, 

 in order to enable him to bear the shock of landing over a 

 fence with a man on his back. The dog, which has a 

 short shoulder-blade, as compared to the horse and ass, 

 is, as we might expect, a very bad weight-carrier. We may 

 prove this practically by testing the respective strength 

 of the back of a powerful mastiff weighing, say, ten 

 stone, and that of a very small donkey, which, although he 

 might not have as great draught power as the dog, 

 would be able to carry far more weight. 



The shoulders of the race-horse, as I have already 

 indicated, should be long, oblique, and as light as is 

 compatible with their work. As far as mere speed goes, 

 great obliquity of shoulder appears to be no advantage. 

 As the weight is brought more forward by the shoulders 

 being upright, than if they were sloping, the former 

 condition, by increasing the instability of the equilibrium 

 (p. 69), is equally,, or even perhaps more conducive to 

 speed than the latter. It also, by tending to bring the 

 humerus into a more horizontal position, places that 

 bone in a more advantageous direction for forward 

 propulsion, than it would have with an oblique shoulder ; 

 because the impetus given to the fore-hand in progression 

 to the front, takes place through that bone. Those 

 particularly speedy animals, antelope and deer, have 

 comparatively straight shoulders. Many of our fastest 



