HORSES: THEIR POINTS AND MANAGEMENT 



high and heavily muscled ; the front ribs inclined to be Hat ; 

 tail set on high up croup. Legs and feet are usually very good, 

 the joints being well knit ; the hoafs hard, and the limbs of good 

 conformation throughout. The barrel is round, and this con- 

 formation is favourable to a thriftiness. The muscles of the 

 body and limbs are particularly hard, and the sinews plainly 

 seen in outline below the knees and hocks. 



The step of the Arabian horse is very free, but it may be 

 taken as accurate that the Arab horse does not come up to the 

 speed of a good or even fair English racing pony. Its powers of 

 endurance on but poor fodder or food that is insufficient, are 

 remarkable, and few will dispute the Arab's right as a " fiont 

 ranker " in this respect. 



Arab horses form part of the Bedoueen's domestic circle, 

 being reared within and around the tent, and correspond to a 

 canine companion in this country. Some wonderful perform- 

 ances have been placed on record relating to the distances 

 travelled by these horses in a given time. 



The Barb of Morocco, the Turkish horse, the Turkoman, 

 the Persian, and the Indian horse, etc., are all of Arabic descent. 



Returning to the Enghsh thoroughbred, the height ranges 

 from 15 to 16 hands, or thereabouts, and the colour, bay, 

 chestnut, brown, etc. The skin is exceedingly thin, and the 

 various prominences upon the bony framework are easily 

 recognised beneath it. The most striking feature of the 

 thoroughbred is the slender and sinewy condition of the limbs, 

 together with the lightness of the body and light forehand. 



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