The American Museum Journal 
Vou. VIII DECEMBER, 1908 No. 8 
EXHIBIT ILLUSTRATING THE EVOLUTION OF THE HORSE. 
N Friday, November 13, there was opened in the Hall of Fossil 
Mammals a special exhibit illustrating the evolution of the 
horse, at which was given the first public view of the mounted 
skeleton of the celebrated horse ‘“Sysonby.”’ 
Sysonby was one of America’s most famous race horses. He was 
foaled, February 7, 1902, at Mr. James R. Keene’s Castleton stud in 
Kentucky, a few months after the importation from England of his 
dam ‘‘Optime,” his sire being “ Melton,” also English bred. Sysonby’s 
record is one of the most brilliant in the history of American horse racing. 
He won a remarkable series of victories between his first race at Brighton 
Beach, July 14, 1904, as a two-year old, and his death at four years of 
age (June 17th, 1906). Mr. Keene generously presented the skeleton 
to the Museum and provided for its preparation and installation. 
The mount represents a characteristic phase in the stride of a running 
horse and was prepared by Mr. 8S. H. Chubb under the direction of 
Professor Henry Fairfield Osborn, the work being based upon direct 
observation and instantaneous photographs of Sysonby and other race 
horses taken by E. Muybridge, J. C. Hemment and $. H. Chubb. ‘The 
position is that taken the moment after the right fore foot has left the 
ground, and the right ‘‘knee,” or carpus, is beginning to bend; the suc- 
ceeding foot-falls in order are, left hind foot, right hind foot, left fore 
foot, right fore foot. ‘The length of a complete stride is about 26 feet. 
At this instant the hind quarters and limbs are lifted perceptibly 
higher than the shoulders, and from a rear view it will be seen that. 
while the hind feet are thrust forward at a great height from the ground, 
they are widely separated from each other so as to avoid striking the fore 
legs. A moment later the shoulders will be lifted by the push of the 
fore foot higher than the hind quarters, then the hind feet will move to- 
ward the median line and strike the ground, while the fore feet wiil move 
forward out of the way of the hind. 
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