THE THIGH. 105 



to pop off his hind-feet like a ball ; and when gallop- 

 ing, he ^dll be so collected in his stride, that his back 

 will never get depressed with the weight of his rider. 

 " It is worthy of remark," says Riddlesworth, at the 

 eighth page of The British and Foreign Booh of 

 Sports, for 1843, "that high hind-qnarters, and tail 

 set on low, are generally characteristics of good quali- 

 ties in a horse." Such is the formation of all om- best 

 racing and jumpmg horses. It is seen in perfection in 

 that model of a race-horse, the Flying Dutchman. To 

 prevent misapprehension, however, I may again obseiwe, 

 that it is the side-bone of the haunch which requires to 

 be di'ooped as it approaches the point of the hip. The 

 position of the vertebrae which join the tail is not nearly 

 of the same practical importance, although it may 

 affect the beauty of the outline. Many horses have 

 then- haunch-bones weU drooped, whilst their tails are 

 set-on high up, and nearly level with the top of the 

 rump. 



THE THIGH 



bone extends from the termination of the haunch- 

 bone, below the tail, or, more con-ectly speaking, from 

 the hip joint, to the lower edge of the flank, where its 

 end assists in fonning the stifle joint. This bone is 

 altogether imbedded in a dense mass of muscular sub- 

 stance. It does not attract much attention from the 

 cursory observer ; nevertheless, its importance is over- 



