74 THE HORSE. 



weight they have to carry, their horny covering being also tough 

 and compact. 



IN THE HIND-QUARTER the Eastern horse and his descendants 

 excel all others in symmetry and in the length of the various parts 

 composing it. Comparing the cart-horse with the subject of the 

 present investigation, one is struck with the greatly increased 

 length of the thighs of the latter, approaching almost to the pro- 

 portions of the greyhound. In the cart-horse, when walking, the 

 stifle joint can hardly be seen, while in the race-horse it is brought 

 out prominently at every step. This gives the stride necessary for 

 pace, and the fast strain of blood known as that of Selim, and his 

 brothers Castrel and Rubens, possesses this peculiarity in a marked 

 manner, though from the high position of the stifle in them, and 

 their straight hocks, many people lose sight of this peculiarity. 

 With regard to the hocks of a race-horse, they should be of full 

 size, clean, and as a matter of course, free from curbs or spavins. 

 They are also generally considered to require very long points, that 

 is to say, the projecting lever to which the ham-string is attached 

 should be long. From an examination of many race-horses I am 

 satisfied that for speed this may be over-done, for though power is 

 gained by it, quickness is sacrificed; and a very long point to the 

 hock is apt to give long, dull, and dwelling action, entirely oppo- 

 site to quick pace, though perhaps telling over a long flat. All 

 are agreed that the gaskin or lower thigh must be muscular, and 

 both for beauty and effect this is a most important point. In other 

 respects, the hind-quarter of the thorough-bred should resemble 

 that of any other variety of the species. 



THE WHOLE of these points should be in proportion to one an- 

 other; that is to say, the formation of the horse should be " true." 

 He should not have long well-developed hind-quarters, with an 

 upright, weak, or confined fore-quarter. Nor will the converse 

 serve, for however well formed the shoulder may be, the horse will 

 not go well unless he has a similar formation in the propellers. It 

 is of great importance, therefore, that the race-horse should have 

 all his various points in true relative development; and that there 

 shall not be the hind-quarter of a long racing-like horse, with the 

 thick confined shoulder which would suit a stride less reaching in 

 its nature. A remarkable instance of the advantages of such a 

 formation is exhibited in Saunterer, whose frame is not charac- 

 terized by power or any other special perfection, but being per- 

 fectly true in his formation he was one of the best, if not the very 

 best, horse of his year, as he proved by his various achievements. 

 At page 64 will be found an engraving of him, copied from one of 

 the best portraits I ever saw, by Mr. H. Barraud, which should be 

 carefully examined. 



