THE KNEE. 29 



lying in which deforms the legs, and it consists 

 in this. Some of the best Arabs, even while 

 the hinder bone is of good size, are yet small 

 below the knee, but equally small at the fet- 

 lock; this is no imperfection, but merely ren- 

 ders such horses a little slight, and in this sense 

 is not very good for the turf, and a great ob- 

 jection to weight certainly ; but one that is 

 small below the knee, or if not very small, 

 yet gradually Hnclining broader towards the fet- 

 lock, is not only most unsightly tied in, but 

 is one of the worst faults a racer, or any horse 

 can have ; for when the back sinews are thus 

 tied in, the legs are very liable to become 

 crooked, and fail in hard work ; besides which, 

 this last description of tying in is, like the small 

 eye, a strong sign of mongrel breeding. A 

 horse that is slight, slight as before described, 

 all the way down, and short between the knee 

 and fetlock, will be quite as strong as one that 

 is broader below the knee, yet longer betw^een 

 the knee and fetlock ; but great breadth imme- 

 diately below the knee, in addition to shortness 

 between the knee and fetlock, is needed to make 

 this part perfect for a racer. An English groom 

 of some experience that I knew, used to say, 

 " Always be mindful of the scientific maxim : 

 when purchasing or betting, if you feel a doubt. 



