68 THE ORANGE COUNTY 



CHAPTER IV. 



CONFORMATION OF THE HORSE. 



A VERT general account only can be given of this, for it 

 varies essentially with the breed and destination of the animal. 

 It is not within the scope of this treatise to enter minutely 

 into the anatomical structure of this noble animal. We will, 

 however, take such a general view of it as will be interesting 

 and instructive to the unscientific reader. 



In a physical sense, the horse exhibits as high a degree of 

 organization as does a human being. There is the same va- 

 riety of complex structure, and the same adaptation of 

 means to an end. Without some knowledge of these, an ac- 

 curate judgment of the capabilities of the animal cannot be 

 arrived at; nor can it be readily understood as to the kind of 

 labor he can perform without injury, and the way in which 

 he should be set to perform that labor. The general struc- 

 ture of the horse consists of a complicated set of levers, i. e., 

 bones, ah 1 acting in combination with each other, by means 

 of the ropes, i. e. muscles and tendons; and it is of the great- 

 est possible use to know how these act on each other, so that 

 they may never be made to act in any other direction than 

 that intended by nature; any violation of this rule is, as a 

 matter of course, attended with corresponding injury to the 

 animal. 



To illustrate this in the familiar instance of draught, this 

 being one of the chief purposes for which the animal was in- 

 tended. The way in which this is effected is, by the horse 

 throwing his body forward, so as to cause his weight to act 

 upon the load. This act would naturally cause him to fall, 

 but from his advancing the legs in such a manner as to raise 

 the body, and not only to support himself during the effort, 

 but in such a way as will enable him constantly to renew the 

 effort. It is evident that in this motion of the body, there 

 must be a point in which both the weight of the body and 

 the power of the animal's muscles and limbs are concentra- 

 ted. This point is called the centre of gravity; and if the 

 horse be not harnessed so as to cause this point to act in the 

 most favorable manner upon the load, of course so much of 

 the animal's power is lost as is wasted by pulling in a wrong 



