AS TO SOUNDNESS. 43 



weight, the pelvis, and most of the abdomen for their 

 share. 



Still using our plumb line, let us watch the well-made 

 horse, or any other for that matter, standing on level 

 ground asleep ; and we find the column of bones from 

 the fetlock to the elbow, not perpendicular as before, 

 but inclined very much forward, so that our plumb line, 

 instead of passing through the long axis of the fore leg 

 and falling behind the foot, actually passes tJwough the 

 foot, obliquely through the phalanges, and out of the 

 leg just below the knee ; again comes through the body 

 at the girth place, and comes out above on the posterior 

 part of the withe7-s. You can verify this any day you 

 like by going to a street cab-stand. It v/ill be strange if 

 you do not find some horse in the stand either sound 

 asleep or nodding. Now what weight have we before 

 the line ? You have — 



1. Nearly all the fore legs. 3. Thorax. 



2. Shoulders. 4. Head. 



5. Neck. 



And to balance this extensive weighty m.ass you have 

 little more than the hind legs and pelvic organs ; so that 

 when the horse is asleep you see the fore legs are truly 

 the weight- bearers. In this attitude the hind limbs have 

 themselves only to take care of, and very little else. In 

 the walk and trot we find the fore limb similarly related 

 to our plumb line as in sleep, but only one limb so at a 

 time, and not both. When. the hoiselies down, all the 



