96 



CONFORMATION AND ITS DEFECTS 



Bourgelat, that in most well-formed horses it equals about two and a 

 half times the length of the head, and it would seem that any considerable 

 departure from this rule, either in regard to excess or deficiency, tends to 

 render the conformation more or less seriously defective. 



In dealing with this part of the subject it will be important to consider 

 what are the elements by which the length of the body is determined, and 



Fig. 71.— Excessive Length from two different Causes 

 After Goubaux and Bamer. (By permission of Messrs. Lippincott) 



what are the relations in which they stand to each other. In answer to 

 the first question it may be stated that the parts which concur to make up 

 the sum of the body-length are the spine, the .shoulder, and the buttock. 

 The two latter furnish the anterior and posterior extremity respectively, 

 while the former intervenes to form the back and loins. As we have 

 already observed, the length of tlie body in a well-formed horse is about 



