POINTS OF THE HORSE. 11 
but he is not very commonly met with. Where leneth below is seen, 
there is generally too much space between the last rib and the hip , while, 
on the other hand, coupled with a short back we too often see the legs all 
“jumped up together,” and the action short and stumpy. Next to these 
points in the middlepiece it is important to pay attention to the upper 
line of the back, which should bend down a little behind the withers, and 
then swell out very gently to the junction with the loins, which can 
hardly be too wide and muscular. The inexperienced eye will often be 
deceived by the hips, for if these are narrow the muscles rise above them, 
and make the loin and back look stronger than they really are, the 
contrary being the case where the hips are wide and ragged. This latter 
formation, though not so elegant as the level hip, is prized by the man 
who wishes to be carried well to hounds, and he will jump at a horse 
which would be passed over with contempt by the tyro as “a great raw- 
boned brute.” A slightly arched loin is essential to the power of 
carrying weight ; a much arched, or “ hog” back, is almost sure to give 
uneasy action from its want of elasticity. 
IN EXAMINING THE HIND-QUARTER, so much depends upon the breed, 
and the purposes to which the animal is to be put, that only a few 
general remarks can be given. Thus, for high speed, there should be 
plenty of length in the two bones which unite at the stifle-joint, without 
which the stride must be more or less limited in extent. The exact posi- 
tion of the hip-joint not being easily detected, the tyro has some difficulty 
in estimating the length from it to the stifle-joint, but he can readily 
measure the Jength from the root of the tail, either with his eye or with 
a tape, if he cannot depend upon his organ of sight. In a flat outline 
this will come to twenty-four inches in a horse of fifteen hands three 
inches, but measured round the surface it will be two inches more. 
Again, the lower thigh or gaskin should be of about the same length ; but 
if measured from the stifle to the point of the hock it will be fully twenty- 
eight inches in a well-made horse of high breeding. These measurements, 
however, will be much greater in proportion than those of the cart-horse, 
who requires strength before all things, and whose stride is of no conse- 
quence whatever. In him, the length of the upper or true thigh is 
generally as great as that of the thoroughbred, but the lower thigh is 
much shorter, and the horse stands with a much straighter hind leg, and 
consequently with his hocks making a very slight angle. Muscular 
quarters and gaskins are desirable in all breeds ; for without strong pro- 
pellers no kind of work to which the horse is put can be duly performed. 
The judge of a horse generally likes to look at the quarters behind, so as 
to get a good view of their volume, and unless they come close together, 
and leave no hollow below the anus, he suspects that there is a want of 
constitution, and rejects the animal on that account. But not only are 
muscles of full size required, but there must be strong joints to bear the 
strain which these exert, and one of the most important of all the points 
of the horse is the heck. ‘This should be of good size, but clean and flat, 
without any gumminess or thoroughpins, and with a good clean point 
standing clear of the rest of the joint ; the “curby place” and the situation 
of spavin should be free from enlargement ; but to detect these diseases 
a considerable amount of practice is required. Lastly, the hocks should 
be well let down, which depends upon the length of the thigh, and ensures 
a short cannon bone. The pasterns and feet should be formed in cor- 
respondence with those of the fore extremity, to which I have already 
alluded. 
