576 THE RACE HORSE. 



do so. As with all horses, special care must be taken to see that the 

 nostrils are large and expanding. 



The Saddle Horse For a saddle horse the above qualifica- 

 tions are necessary, with some emphasis upon the strength of shoul- 

 der, and a requisite length between the shoulders and the " hock," 

 so that the saddle can be borne without pressing upon either. 



Selecting a Trotting Horse When the horse is desired 

 for speed in the trotting pace simply, without regard to the hard 

 work which most roadsters are required to do, he should embrace 

 nearly all the leading requisites we have described as essential to 

 the driving horse, but in addition he should be thoroughbred, or as 

 fine a strain of blood as possible to secure. He will be finer in the 

 legs, head and neck, more delicate in the skin and altogether a 

 much more nervous and sensitive animal than the general purpose 

 driving horse. 



THE RACE HORSE. 



Points of a Thoroughbred Horses for the running turf 

 must be blooded animals, with fine and mobile muzzle, large and 

 intelligent eye, small ears, high withers, clean and shapely shoulders, 

 long body with broad ribs, barrel well rounded and firm, not too 

 broad in the crupper; legs clean, fine in bone, well set up over the 

 hoof; strong and muscular in the forearm and stiiie. He should 

 possess a deep and wide back and loin, with a droop to the quarters, 

 which are long and straight. The open bosom is a sure sign of 

 want of pace in the racer, as too wide a chest interferes with the 

 full play of the shoulder blade as it glides by the side. The body 

 should be wide, where the rider's knees press together, but be^w 

 this the ribs should rapidly shelve inwards. The neck is longer and 

 thinner than in other horses, but it should be specially seen to that 

 there is a large windpipe. The head should be wide above the eyes 

 as well as between the ears, in order to indicate a good development 

 of brain, and consequent nervous energy which is one of the princi- 

 pal sources of the racer's power and fleetness. The nostrils should 

 be open and expansive. The ears moderately thin and long, but not 

 inclined to lop, and under a fine muzzle there must be a lean and 

 wide lower jaw. The hind-quarter of the thoroughbred is distin- 

 guished by greater length in the thighs, almost approaching the pro- 

 portions of tne greyhound. In height the racer should be fifteen to 

 sixteen-and-a-half hands, and in color, generally bay, brown or 

 chestnut. The mane and tail should be silky but not curly, as a 

 decided curl is a symptom of degraded blood. The hair in the skin 

 is more silky than in common breeds and the thin net-work c/ 

 veins more distinctly perceptible. 



