THE ANGLE OF TEACTIOIV, ETC. 219 



sacrificed to a correct, but in such a case inapplicable, 

 mathematical principle. In a word, our contention is, 

 that the angle of traction must be regulated with re- 

 ference to the horse, and not to the carriage exclusively. 



And by adopting this view, several things that 

 otherwise seemed contradictory and anomalous become 

 at once clear and intelhgible ; as, for instance, the 

 English artillery adopt an angle of 15°, while the 

 French find 11° to answer better ; and why 1 because 

 on an average the English horses are less straight- 

 shouldered than the French, or indeed than any other 

 draught-horses that we have seen ; then again, the re- 

 sults of General Berge's experiments at Metz could not 

 have been otherwise than anomalous, because one horse 

 will draw better under one angle, and another under a 

 different one ; and in fact, by overlooking the confor- 

 mation of the horse's shoulders, while varying the angle 

 of traction, one and the same animal will appear in 

 one experiment relatively stronger, and in a second and 

 third weaker, than another. 



The rule of the 'Artillerist's Manual ' is therefore so 

 far correct, but it is neither altogether so, nor does it 

 go far enough. For the essential thing is evidently 

 that the trace should be perpendicular to the horse's 

 shoulder-blade, through which the effort is exerted, 

 and whose form cannot be altered, and not to the 

 collar, which may be made of variable thickness ; and 

 then again, nothing whatever is said as to the particular 

 part of the collar, and consequently of the underlying- 

 shoulder-blade, to which the trace should be attached, 

 which is a matter of the very greatest importance, as 

 we shall now proceed to point out. 



Having, we hope, convinced the reader that the 

 horse's convenience beinu* suited is the first thinoj to 



