30 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



and have an option between two horses, always 

 decide in favour of that one with the largest 

 three essential bones ; the hinder bone of the 

 knee, the elbow bone, and the bone at the point 

 of the hock." 



The shank, when viewed in front, must look 

 fine, and of small circumference. There is no 

 surer sign of hard work than the shank, when 

 viewed in front, looking round and large. A 

 curb or spavin may come by a strain, but the 

 roundness of shank I here allude to — a thick- 

 ening of the skin and cellular stuff beneath, 

 quite independent of the bone — is produced by 

 nothinof but sheer hard work. Some few blood 

 horses, exceptions, are born rather rounder in 

 the shank-bone itself than others, yet it is bad ; 

 and even this roundness in the bone itself is 

 very ugly, and looks like work ; but even one 

 whose shank bones are naturally rather round, 

 will become rounder still much sooner than 

 one whose shank bones are naturally flatter. 

 Plenty of muscle above, large back sinews be- 

 low, but small flat shank bones, solid like ivory, 

 is the blood horse, and horse for endurance or 

 speed. 



A splent, if situated about the middle of the 

 shank bone, is of no great harm, save that the 

 price of a horse, if bought for appearance, is 



