128 HISTORY OF THE 



be somewhat arched in the centre. The croup being 

 thus formed gives great breadth to the top of the 

 quarters, the length of which, from the croup down 

 to the hock, cannot scarcely be of too great an 

 extent, in order that there may be sufficient room 

 here for the attachment of those broad, powerful, 

 lengthy, and distinctly divided muscles on the out- 

 side of the quarters and thighs ; and there should 

 also be a similar portion of such muscles on the 

 inside of the quarters and thighs ; so that a man 

 who is a good judge, taking a posterior view, may 

 observe how the horse is made. In this position 

 he should be, as it were, struck by the appearance 

 of the great breadth and length of the back part of 

 the quarters, and as he moves his head to the 

 right or left, the centre and outside of the quarters 

 and thighs, and the swell of the muscles, should 

 appear beyond a level with the hips. The upper 

 parts of the muscles on the inside of the quarters 

 should appear quite close to each other, so that no 

 vacuous space should be visible between them, 

 as that of an appearance of the horse being (if I 

 may thus express myself) chucked up in the fork. 

 Such should be the lengthy and muscular quarters 

 of a well made race-horse. 



'' The stifle joint should be in a direct line 

 under the hip, and the length from this joint to 

 that of the hock cannot reasonably be too long, 

 and the farther out of the angular or oblique posi- 



