THE HORSE. 639 



The Chest. The chest of the horse should be large and roomy, as it contains the 

 vital organs, the heart, lungs, etc., upon the free action of which the perfect health and 

 strength of the whole system so largely depends. If the heart be in a healthy condition, the 

 entire system will be very likely to be healthy; but if the heart be diseased, there will be 

 weakness or disease of the physical system. Neither this organ, or the lungs, can be in a 

 vigorous and healthy state, unless they are well developed, and are allowed sufficient room 

 for action. 



The blood is circulated by the action of the heart, but it can only be purified by coming 

 in contact with the air, in passing through the lungs. Now, if the lungs and heart are com 

 pressed within a narrow chest, it can readily be seen that such an animal will lack one of the 

 great essentials of a perfectly developed, healthy body. The lungs of the horse occupy a 

 much larger space when he is in active exercise than when at rest, consequently the more 

 speed is required of him, the greater the necessity of his being able to increase the size of 

 the chest, to give ample room for these organs. 



The following, descriptive of the proper form of the chest, is from Youatt s work, the 

 noted English authority on the horse: &quot;The front of the chest is a very important considera 

 tion in the structure of the horse. It should be prominent, broad, and full, and the sides of 

 it well occupied. When the breast is narrow, the chest has generally the same appearance: 

 the animal is flat-sided, the proper cavity of the chest is diminished, and the stamina of the 

 horse is materially diminished, although, perhaps, his speed for short distances may not be 

 affected. When the chest is narrow, and the fore-legs are too close together, in addition to 

 the want of bottom, they will interfere with each other, and there will be wounds on the 

 fetlocks, and bruises below the knee. 



A chest too broad is not desirable, but a fleshy and a prominent one: yet even this, per 

 haps, may require some explanation. When the fore-legs appear to recede, and to shelter 

 themselves under the body, there is a faulty position of the fore-limbs, a bend, or standing 

 over, an unnatural lengthiness about the fore parts of the breast, sadly disadvantageous in 

 progression. 



The spaces between the ribs are occupied by muscles firmly attached to their edges, the 

 fibers of which cross each other in the form of the letter X. By the prolongation thus 

 obtained, they have a much greater latitude of action than they would have if they run 

 straight from rib to rib. The ribs, while they protect the important viscera of the thorax 

 from injury, are powerful agents in extending and contracting the chest in the alternate 

 inspiration and expiration of air. 



This leads to a very important consideration, the most advantageous form of the chest 

 for the proper discharge of the natural r extraordinary functions of the thoracic viscera. 

 The contents of the chest are the lungs and heart: the first, to render the blood nutrient and 

 stimulating, and to give or restore it to that vitality which will enable it to support every 

 part of the frame in the discharge of its function, and, devoid of which, the complicated and 

 beautiful machine is inert and dead; and the second, to convey this purified arterialized blood 

 to every part of the frame. 



In order to produce, and to convey to the various parts, a sufficient quantity of blood, 

 these organs must be large. If it amounts not to hypertrophy, the larger the heart and the 

 larger the lungs, the more rapid the process of nutrition, and the more perfect the discharge 

 of every animal function. 



Then it might be imagined that, as a circle is a figure which contains more than any 

 other of equal girth and admeasurement, a circular form of the chest would be most advan 

 tageous. Not exactly so; for the contents of the chest are alternately expanding and con 

 tracting. The circular chest could not expand, but every change of form would be a diminu 

 tion of capacity. 



