SYMMETRY. 367 



of success in putting forth its full power, and also its 

 speed of contraction, are dependent on them. Hence, 

 two horses of identically the same " make and shape " 

 (if such a thing were possible) might differ widely in pulling 

 power, handiness, or speed, on account of a want of 

 similarity in their nervous systems. We see this fact 

 well marked among men, in whom uncommon quickness 

 and great dexterity of muscular movement is often in- 

 herited. The speed thus obtained from " blood " in- 

 dependently of conformation, may be regarded as an 

 outcome of heredity. In judging, therefore, by a horse's 

 conformation, of his suitability to any particular kind of 

 work, we should take into careful consideration all the 

 " blood " points which he may possess. The fact of a 

 horse having Arab blood in his veins, is, in itself, no reason 

 for our inferring that he has a good " turn of speed " ; for 

 Arabs, though charming hacks and admirable light cavalry 

 troopers, are not race-horses. 



It is noteworthy that thorough-bred stock which are 

 allowed (as they often are in the Colonies) to run wild, say, 

 up to four of five years old, before they are taken up, and 

 which are then put to ordinary labour, lose in a great 

 measure the blood-like appearance they might have 

 possessed, had they been handled early and put into 

 training in the usual way. 



Symmetry is the conformance, as regards size, shape 

 and arrangement, of the various parts of the body to some 

 particular type of useful horse. 



In violation of this condition, we may have united in 

 the same animal the long legs and light body of the race- 

 horse, and the heavy head, loaded neck and thick shoulders 

 of the cart-horse ; or the contours of the race-horse, with 

 the exception of the loins being weak, and the hind legs 

 short with drooping croup. Even with the ordinary 

 saddle-nag, to say nothing of the hunter and officer's 

 charger, we have too often the massive shoulders of the 



