152 Cross-Breeding in Horses. 



as a framework for the attachment of muscles, sinews, and liga- 

 ments. The bones of the limbs are for the most part cylindrical, 

 and motion is effected by means of joints at the extremities of 

 the bones, which are secured by powerful non-elastic ligaments. 

 The bones are much smaller in the thorough-bred than in the 

 cart and intermediate breeds, though generally more compact, 

 and the joints also are by no means so wide, but admit of more 

 longitudinal moti(m. With this diminished size there is, of 

 course, less surface to sustain the weight of the body. 



The sinews resemble the ligaments in appearance, and like 

 them are non-elastic ; they are attached to the bones, and serv'e to 

 communicate motion to them from the muscles to which they are 

 joined or from which they appear to spring. Both ligaments 

 and sinews are smaller in the thorough-bred than in other horses. 

 The muscles and the flesh are the same, and are the seat of the 

 motive power, motion being produced by the contraction of the 

 fibres of which the muscles are composed. The strength is the 

 result both of the size and the number of fibres, whilst the 

 extent of motion depends on the length of the muscles and their 

 fibres. Of course the length of the bones corresponds to that of 

 the muscles, and althougli the joints 'in the thorough-bred have 

 less surface, they admit of more motion. 



The pack-horse mav be thus described: — The prevailing 

 colours of the breed were bay and brown, which, with the usual 

 accompaniments of black legs, denoted a good and hardy consti- 

 tution, vet other colours, such as greys and blacks, were to be found 

 occasionally. Among the chief peculiarities were the good and 

 flat fore-leg with its well developed back sinew or flexor tendon, 

 the good and sound foot, and capital shoulders and forehand. 

 The neck muscular, but not thick and heavy, was fairly arched, 

 and the head, of moderate size, was well set on. This form was 

 accompanied, as we might expect, with good and safe action in 

 the walk and trot ; the horse rarely stumbled, and only fell from 

 overwork and exhaustion. Whilst the heavier and coarser speci- 

 men of this breed was capable of carrying his five-hundredweight 

 load throughout a long journey, the lighter and more active was 

 used as the ordinary saddle-horse or even as the hunter of the 

 day. Many of these animals were extraordinary Irotters, and, as 

 good trotters are generallv good walkers likewise, the quality was 

 greatly prized and encouraged ; and thus a race of trotters was 

 bred which, no doubt, were the ancestors of the celebrated Ame- 

 rican trotting-horses, such as the " Tom Thumbs " of later days. 

 Although these horses were deep in the chest and ribs, the hind- 

 quarters were comparatively inferior, the hips were often ragged, 

 the tail set on low, and sometimes the hocks were rather too 

 straight. The celebrated trotting-horses of Norfolk were evidently 



