7o6 



PROPORTIONS OF THE HORSE. 



As this proportion must necessarily vary according to 

 the length and position of the shoulder-blade, I refrain 

 from applying it to all classes. 



The following proportions are approximately correct for 

 all horses, except those of the heavy cart type, whose necks 

 are particularly massive, as in Fig. ii : — 



(8) Width of head ( /// ii) = width of upper part of neck {n o). 



(9) Distance {k p) of top of head to corner of mouth = thickness of 



base of neck (</ /•). 



Any attempt — as has frequently been made — to for- 



Fig. 646. — Proportions of Horse. 



mulate proportions of length between the limbs and body 

 of what might be called an " ordinary horse," would be 

 merely begging the question by constructing an ideal 

 animal to conform to one's own theories ; instead of, as 

 one ought to do, supporting one's hypotheses on the firm 

 basis of fact. As the comparative length of limb varies 

 according to the class of horse ; we find (Chapter XV.), 

 taking the two extreme types, that the legs of the heavy 

 cart-horse are far shorter than those of the racer. Thus, 



