MANUAL FOR STABLE SERGEANTS. 63 



Knees. — Straight, broad, deep, and free from puffiness, scars and 

 swellings. A knee bent backwards is called a calf knee. The op- 

 posite condition is known as knee-sprung or over in the knees. 



Cannons. — Short, broad, flat, and of uniform size. Tendons smooth, 

 and well set back. If smaller below the knee than elsewhere, the 

 leg is said to be tied in below the knee. 



Fetlocks. — ^\Vide, smooth, well supported, and free from puffy 

 swellings. 



Pasterns. — Of moderate length, smooth, free from enlargements, 

 and forming an angle of form 45° to 50° \\T.th the ground. 



Feet. — Of proportionate size, uniform, and circular; heels wide, 

 and one-third the height of the toe; walls smooth and free from 

 cracks, fissures, and rings; bars strong, sole concave, frog large and 

 elastic, horn dense and tough. 



Legs. — Viewed from the front, vertical, with toes pointing straight 

 to the front. Viewed from the side, slightly inclined to the rear. 

 When the toe points obliquely forward and inward, the animal is 

 said to be pigeon-toed. The opposite condition is known as toe out 

 or splayfooted. 



121. Body. 



Breast and chest. — Of moderate width and considerable depth for 

 cavalry horses. Both deep and wide for draft horses. The girth is 

 the measure around the body at the chest. It should be large. 



Ribs. — Long, well arched, close together. Last rib close to the 

 point of the hip. 



Back. — Short, straight, broad, well muscled, and free from en- 

 largements and scars. A concave back is called a sway back. A 

 convex back is called a roach back. 



Loins. — Broad, short, strong, and well muscled. 



Flanks. — Close, full (not hollowed out), and deep. 



Underline of the chest and belly. — Long and well let down. ^ATien 

 this line passes obliquely backward and upward, the horse is said 

 to be herring gutted. 



122. Hindquarters. 



Croup. — Long, rounded, and sloping slightly downward. "^Tien it 

 droops and becomes narrow below the tail the horse is said to be 

 goose rumped. 



Haunch {point of hip). — Not too prominent, yet not drooped or 

 sunken. 



Dock. — Large and muscular. 



Tail. — Set fairly high, and carried well away from the body. 

 Hairs fine and silky. 



