THE HORSE. 691 



and greater strength and endurance. A hackney (and we would almost say a hunter) can 

 scarcely be too well ribbed home. 



If speed, however, is required, there must be room for the full action of the hinder limbs; 

 and this can only exist where there is sufficient space between the last rib and the hip-bone. 

 The owner of the horse must make up his mind as to what he wants from him, and be satis 

 fied if he obtains that; for let him be assured that he cannot have everything, for this would 

 require those differences of conformation that cannot possibly exist in the same animal.&quot; 



The Bones. The bones are the frame-work of the system, and give support and pro 

 tection to the body. It must be remembered that size is not the true index of strength with 

 respect to the bones of an animal, but rather, size and texture combined. Large bones are 

 often coarse and porous in texture, while small bones will frequently be found hard and firm, 

 and possessing much more strength than those of larger size, as is shown, for instance, by a 

 comparison made between a section of the cannon-bone of a low-bred cart-horse, and that of 

 a thorough-bred animal. The former was found open and porous, while the latter is firm 

 and solid ; in fact, so compact that it may be polished to resemble ivory. The leg of a thor 

 ough-bred horse, although much smaller than that of a cart-horse, may, as shown, be much 

 stronger than the latter; therefore, although the bones should be of suitable size for the pur 

 poses to which the horse is to be used, their texture is of equal importance, and should not 

 be overlooked, by either the purchaser or breeder. 



The Shoulder. The shoulder should vary, according to the type of the horse, and 

 the purposes for which he is to be used. The draught-horse should have a large, powerful 

 neck, an upright, thick, and heavy shoulder, and, withal, there must be an abundance of mus 

 cle, flesh, and fiber, so that the weighty collar he is obliged to wear will fit well, and seem, 

 as it were, a part of him, thus distributing the pressure evenly, in drawing heavy loads. . 



For saddle and carriage use, the shoulder should be oblique, and the withers high, as 

 this gives the animal more freedom in moving, and renders him less liable to stumble 

 when on the road. 



The slope of the shoulder also adds to his capacity to stride with ease, and thus renders 

 a horse well adapted to saddle and carriage use. The rule laid down by Youatt and others 

 is, that the oblique shoulder, being less exposed to concussion in rapid action, is indispensa 

 ble to horses where extensive and rapid action is required, but for horses where use requires 

 them to throw as much weight as possible into the collar, an upright shoulder is of more 

 advantage. Roadsters and what are commonly termed gentlemen s carriage-horses, as well 

 as saddle-horses, should, therefore, have oblique shoulders, while those that are used princi 

 pally for draught, should have the shoulders upright. 



The humerus, or second bone in the shoulder, should be of good length, and supplied 

 with powerful muscles, while a good fore-arm is equally essential. 



The Limbs. However superior a horse may be in all respects relative to his head and 

 body, he becomes inefficient unless these desirable qualities are accompanied with good limbs 

 and feet. 



It is, therefore, of the greatest importance that the horse not only have limbs suited to 

 the body, and the duties he is required to perform, but that they, as well as the feet, receive 

 good care, in order to be kept in a sound and healthy condition. 



Youatt says: &quot; Whatever other good points the animal may possess, if the arm is narrow 

 in front and near the shoulders, flat on the side, and altogether deficient in muscular 

 appearance, that horse is radically defective. He can neither raise his knee for rapid action, 

 nor throw his leg sufficiently forward.&quot; 



The fore-arm, or radius, can scarcely be too long, or well supplied with muscles, as these 

 muscles move the leg and foot. The cannon bone should be small, short, hard, and solid. 

 A short cannon usually accompanies a long fore-arm, especially in horses of great speed. 



