HUNTERS. 315% 



investigate causes or effects farther than as 

 at first sight they affect the superficies of 

 their very shallow comprehension ; from 

 whence arises the prevaleni reflection upon 

 the want of hone, so exceeding!}^ common, 

 and so frequently ill-founded, that at the 

 time of examjnatio.n, the subject so drspa- 

 ra^ed is sometimes loaded like a cart-horse. 

 From this total ignorance of the anatomical 

 conformation has origiaatecj the erroneous 

 conjecture of fixing the basis of strength ia 

 the bony structure only, v/ithout a contin- 

 gent reference or relative consideration to. 

 the muscular appendages, that, in fact, con- 

 stitute the very main-i>priqg of strength and 

 action. 



We are not at all disinclined to admit that 

 the greater the fulcrum or mechanical centre 

 of support, the more powerful should be th^ 

 component parts to cons'titute the accumu- 

 lation of strength ; though this, like many 

 other rules supposed to be general, is liable 

 to frequent exception. Of this there are 

 distinct proofs among the different degrees 

 of horses, in the particular purposes for 

 whjch they are bred, o^* afterwards become 



