BRITISH TURF. I [J 



less race horses were unequalled in speed and power 

 of endurance. The shoulders of Eclipse, it would 

 appear, resembled those of the greyhound, wide at 

 the upper part, and nearly on a line with the back. 

 We refer our reader to our extract from Sainbel's ce- 

 lebrated Essay on the proportions of this matchless 

 racer, which we have given at some length in a for- 

 mer chapter of this work, for much useful information, 

 both as to this and other points of the race horse. 

 Upright shoulders, being a great impediment to 

 speed, a certain obliquity of the scapular becomes 

 absolutely necessary; but not so their running fine 

 at the withers. Thus we find large and even what 

 are termed coarse shoulders, no impediment to 

 speed (being always highly conducive to strength) 

 if there is proper declivity of the shoulder-bone 

 or scapular. The withers should enlarge gradually 

 downwards, there being a distance of 4 or 5 inches 

 between the fore-thigh, and less between the feet ; 

 in fact the shoulders should be what is commonly 

 termed well laid back. It is impossible to go into 

 a minute investigation of those points from which 

 the thorough-bred horse derives his wonderful 

 speed, without being struck with the fact, that 

 these distinguishing features may be traced through 

 sire and dam to the Eastern horse, from which thev 

 were originally derived. All the Herod Jegs had 

 prominent knees and yet were famous for standing 

 work ; a point handed down to that splendid racer 



