24 



HINTS ON HORSES 



The Body. 



Withers. — The withers of a horse must be 

 carefully noted ; they vary from almost a 

 razor edge to quite a rounded surface : their 

 position is also of importance ; this depends 

 upon the shoulder. 



Shonldcr. — The most important line whereby 

 the individuality of a horse is depicted is that 

 of the shoulder. 



This line may be oblique or upright. If 

 oblique the neck is long, the withers lie back, 

 and the back is short. If upright these propor- 

 tions are reversed. A head placed on a long 



neck looks relatively shorter than a head of 

 the same size on a short one. 



A lean, clean cut, and angular shoulder is 

 desirable for a riding horse. A rounded, 

 heavy-looking shoulder, on the other hand, is 

 adapted to heavy draught work. 



Back. — The length of the back is depen- 

 dent on the position of wither and size of 

 hindquarters. The shorter the back the 

 stronger. The larger the hindquarters the 

 more powerful. 



