THE WITHERS AND BACK. 23 



the ascent is continued to the end of the loins ; 

 and if from thence it is gradually carried on to 

 the tail, he will, notwithstanding a good height 

 of withers, look higher behind than before, which 

 is favourable.* The straightness of spine is essen- 

 tial : a horse at full speed, with his head and neck 

 thrust out, gallops as horizontally as possible : a 

 hollow backed horse scarcely ever runs well. 

 Purchase none for the turf, therefore, but what 

 may not be inaptly termed a horizontal horse. 



It is actually requisite to have some length 

 of back for the turf, and provided the quarter 

 is long, the shoulder oblique, and the spine 

 straight, there is not much fear of the back being 

 too long. A long quarter, a moderately long 

 back, and a rather long neck, must necessarily 

 make a tolerably long horse, which is the form 

 desired for a racer. A tall, short horse, is not 

 found to keej) the pace up so well as one that 



* William Osmer. Fifth edition. Treatise on the Horse, 

 p. 222. ^' If the forehand be more lofty than the croup, he 

 cannot run worth a curse." How ridiculous it is to see a Lon- 

 don horse-dealer placing the horse, when brought out for inspec- 

 tion, with the forelegs on the highest ground, making him 

 appear of that build as if he would slip his girth. A well-built 

 horse should merely have a nice rise in the withers, but the 

 above abominable position ruins the appearance, making the 

 whole backbone from the withers to the tail gradually declining 

 backward like the formation of a camelopard. 



