36 THE HORSE. 



carter. If we wisli to make an accurate comparison, 

 we must keep up this distinction ; or else compare two 

 animals belonging to the same class. In the latter 

 case, the texture is nearly alike ; and therefore the one 

 which has the thickest bone should be the strongest, as 

 far, at least, as bone is concerned. 



Any person who wishes to test the correctness of the 

 above statements, can easily do so by bui-ning the shank- 

 bones of a thorough-bred and a Clydesdale horse. 

 When the animal matter is consumed, the remaining 

 earthy portion will discover the textm-e. For the sake 

 of accm-acy, however, it will be necessary to choose the 

 shank-bone in each case, because the various bones in 

 the same animal differ very much in then- porosity, ac- 

 cording to the locality in which they are placed, and 

 the purposes for which they are required. 



No man, let his pretensions be what they may, can 

 be a real judge of a horse, imless he is aware of the 

 position which the bones of the skeleton occupy. They 

 are the levers of the whole machine ; and on their 

 length, shape, and position will depend, in a great 

 measm-e, the fitness of the animal for the pm-pose he is 

 designed to fulfil. "The first requisite," says Mr. 

 Cawse, in his treatise on the art of painting, " for 

 di"aT\dng the horse, or any other animal, is to acquire a 

 knowledge of the skeleton, as on that depends the 

 power of making a good outline. The first sketch of 

 a horse should always determine the exact situation of 



