THE TIBIA. Ill 



up towards his kidneys, and the hock towards his tail. 

 You Avill then be able to judge of the extent of pitch 

 he will get when these parts are all brought suddenly 

 back, like the spring of a bow, into their natural posi- 

 tion. If the haunch-bone and the two thigh-bones are 

 all long, and properly placed, they mil form such angles 

 as will give a crooked appearance to this part of the 

 quarter. This, so far from being a defect, is a matter 

 of great advantage, inasmuch as it places the hind-foot 

 in a favourable position for bearing the weight it is 

 obliged to sustain ; whilst, at the same time, a great 

 leverage power is j)reserved. A horse in whom the 

 outHne of these bones is straight, will not possess speed, 

 nor yet have the power of getting his hind-feet suffi- 

 ciently far forwards under his body ; in short, the horse 

 should be formed here very much after the model of 

 that most beautiful creature, the greyhound. I quite 

 agree with the celebrated Kimrod, who says, " You 

 may as well expect an ass to play the fiddle, as a horse 

 to carry his rider pleasantly, unless he have good 

 lengthy shoulders and well-bent hinder-legs. A friend 

 of mine, who is become fastidious in his judgment, goes 

 so far as to say, that no horse can have a good mouth 

 with straight hinder-legs. He is so far correct, inas- 

 much as no horse with straight hinder-legs can pull to- 

 gether ; therefore neither his head nor his heels can be 

 where they ought to be, and consequently he can never 

 be fit to carry a gentleman." 



