STUD BOOK. 53 



What is called breed in horses, consists in the 

 superior organization of the nervous and thoracic 

 organs, as compared with the abdominal; the chest is 

 deeper and more capacious ; and the brain and nerves 

 more highly developed, - more air is respired, more 

 blood purified, more nervous energy expended. Whilst 

 the heavy cart-horse may be considered to possess the 

 lymphatic temperament, the blood horse may be 

 regarded as the emblem of the nervous and sanguine 

 temperament combined ; the latter, however, predomi- 

 nating. When the nervous temperament has the 

 ascendance, the animal will carry but little flesh, but 

 will go till he drops, never seeming to tire. He will, 

 however, take too much out of himself, become 

 thinner, and is what is called a hot horse. When the 

 sanguine temperament greatly prevails, the horse will 

 have great muscular powers, but not much inclination 

 to put them to the stretch. When the lymphatic 

 temperament has superior influence, the animal, 

 though looking fresh and fat, and starting well at first, 

 will soon flag, and knock up, and will rather endure 



