THE CHEST 



65 



Ije long, not only that the chest may be deep, but, more important 

 still, that it may be well arched. Besides this they must be well inclined 

 backward towards the haunch, to which the posterior or " back " ribs 

 should nearly approximate. It is equally important that they should 

 be placed wide apart and united by broad intercostal muscles. So con- 

 structed, the ribs will have plenty of play in their outward and forward 

 movements, and the capacity of the chest will be correspondingly large. 

 Any shortcoming in these respects imparts to the body an appearance 

 of lightness, legginess, and instability. The animal will be, in stable 

 parlance, " slack in the loin ", badly " ribbed up ", and wanting in power 

 and endurance. 



M. Gayot observes that the distance between the summit of the 

 withers and the sternum in a well-formed chest should be greater than 

 that between the sternum and the ground. Referring to this point. 

 Captain Hayes, in his work on The Points of the Horse, contrasts the 

 measurements of the race-horse with those of the draught-horse, selecting 

 Ormonde and St. Simon as examples of the one, and the shire horse 

 Cheadle Jumbo and shire mare Chance as examples of the other. The 

 results of his measurements are given in the following table: — 



The measurements of Ormonde were taken in July, 1887, when he 

 was a four-year-old, and those of St. Simon in September, 1884, when 

 he was a three-year-old, and presumably both horses would ))e in racing- 

 condition. It is not, however, stated at what age or in what condition 

 the shire horses were when their measurements were taken, and as this 

 would materially aftect the comj^arison, it is impossible, in the absence 

 of exact data, to estimate the value and accuracy of the conclusions at 

 which Captain Hayes has arrived. Both Cheadle Jumbo and Chance were 

 show animals, and if the measurements were taken while in the usual 

 show condition, no reliable conclusion could be drawn as to the relative 

 dimensions of the chest and limbs by comparison with horses in racing 

 form. In referring generally to the dejjth of chest as compared with 

 length of limb in different types of horses. Captain Hayes points out 

 that "if we take Ormonde as the highest type of the race-horse we 



Vol. I. 5 



