STUD BOOK. 57 



backwards at a considerable angle from the point of the 

 shoulders to the withers at which point there should be an 

 evident degree of thinness and elevation. A well-shouldered 

 saddle-horse will, when standing, have his forelegs perpen- 

 dicular to the ground. Hence, it is essential to judge of the 

 a.Tn'Trml as well when standing as moving. Observe also, 

 when walking, whether he place his forefoot more forward 

 than the shoulder-point, when he puts it on the ground. If 

 his shoulders are upright he cannot do so; and if this be 

 not the case, he will always do so, and should be rejected, as 

 not having a sound footing when in motion. 



He should have the bones beneath the knee broad and 

 flat, as much so immediately under the knee as they are 

 above the fetlock. The forelegs should be perfectly straight, 

 for a horse which stands over on his knee, although but to a 

 slight degree, will, from many a trifling cause, especially if 

 overweighted, be liable to falL The arms, too, should be 

 compact and muscular, exhibiting considerable bulk in pro- 

 portion to the height of the horse. 



The foot is of the first importance. In a few words, it 

 should be of a size evidently corresponding with the general 

 bulk of the animal The feet should neither be too hollow 

 showing a tendency to contraction nor too flat, the conse- 

 quence of disease, exposing the sole to continual bruises. 



As his general safety of action may be judged of by his 

 shoulders, so may his soundness be estimated by his legs 

 and feet The foot should be open at the heels, and free 

 from corns and thrushes. 



The pasterns should be so united at the fetlock that the 

 feet may neither turn inwards nor outwards. Of the two 

 faults it is better that the feet should turn a little outwards, 

 so that they do not strike against his fetlock, than that they 

 should turn inwards. The pastern should be short, with suf- 

 ficient obliquity to give pleasant action, but not enough to 

 render the horse incapable of the wear and tear of constant 

 hard work. 



The last test is to mount him 3 first locking if his shoe is 

 unnecessarily worn at the toe. If he put his feet flat on the 

 ground he is worth having ; if he do not so place them, but 

 drive his toe into the ground, reject him, for the odds are, 

 that before long the rider will have to measure his length on 

 the ground, as the least obstacle will cause the horse to trip. 

 The condition of the shoe is, however, a pretty good criterion 

 of this. If the toe be greatly worn, whilst the heel is not 



