238 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



MUSCLES OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE THIGH. 



PLATE VII. Fig. 1. 



a. The groat glutaeufe muscle, or gluteus maximus. It occupies the 

 anterior, middle, and. external parts of the haunch. It arises 

 from the spinous and. transverse processes of several of the 

 bones of the loins, from the sacrum, and from the different 

 edges of the ilium, and is inserted into the protuberance of the 

 upper bone of the thigh, behind and a little above the joint 

 that unites the thigh to the haunch-bone. It is this muscle 

 which gives that fulness and roundness to the haunch so much 

 admired. It is one of the chief muscles of progression. 



h. The outer glutseus, or buttock-muscle, which can only be 

 considered as a fleshy slip attached to the great gluteus. Its 

 origin is as high as the spine, and it runs along the back part of 

 the thigh in the form of a ridge, and is inserted into the 

 smaller outer prominence of the upper bone of the thigh. 



c. Tliis muscle arises high up from the bones of the spine, from 

 others at the root of the tail, from the protuberance of the 

 ischium, and from other bones of the pelvis. It is, in fact, a 

 sort of triple muscle, as it has three heads ; it is called the 

 triceps femoris, or three-headed muscle of the thigh. It is 

 mserted into the upper part of the lower bone of the thigh, 

 and its office is to draw back the thigh when placed under the 

 trunk, and so to throw forward the trunk of the body. 



il. This muscle descends from the sacrum, and from the first 

 bones of the tail runs down posterior to the triceps femoris, 

 and constitutes the hinder border of the haunch. It is inserted 

 into the lower bone of the thigh, and assists in performing the 

 same kind of motion. The whole of these muscles are very 

 much developed in the thorough-bred horse, and hence his 

 strength and speed, which is besides another very important 

 point in the horse. To perform their full action, these muscles 

 should be so prominent that the horse, when the observer stand*^ 

 behind him, should be perceptibly wider at the thighs than at 

 tlie loins and haunch. 



H. The root of the tail, with its muscles. 



