CONFORMATION. 447 



the bides of the chest are narrow, and the ribs just behind the saddle are 

 unduly circular. 



There is also an opposite evil. If from want of proper length and due 

 convexity of the middle ribs the circuinferent measurement decreases 

 from the fore-hand to the rear, the girths and with them the saddle will 

 slip back, and in the stable the same result will happen with the roller 

 and the clothes. 



925. The Body. 



The Body should be long and low, that is, it should stand over a good 

 deal of ground, and yet be deep and broad in all parts. The length 

 should be due to a large, long, and oblique scapula, and long quarters 

 not to long and badly coupled loins. Such conformation is calculated to 

 give both speed and endurance. Length is essential to speed, and 

 breadth to endurance. Neither the one nor the other, however, must be 

 disproportionate. In the body as in every other part of the frame we 

 need to combine, in their just relative proportion, opposite qualities, 

 namely, those which give speed and those which give endurance. 



926. Of Bone in Different breeds. 



Bone must not be measured solely by reference to size. Bone varies 

 very much in quality in different breeds. That of the under-bred horse 

 is coarse, porous, and light, being what is in common parlance termed 

 4i bone " as opposed to ivory ; whilst that of the thorough-bred horse is 

 dense and heavy and more nearly resembles ivory, and the projections for 

 the attachment of muscles and tendons are well and boldly developed. 



927. The Muscles. 



The Muscles throughout require to be well developed. Those of the 

 arm, thigh, and back are of especial importance. No horse is fit for 

 hunting or racing if these are in any degree deficient. Again, if they are 

 at all deficient, it is more than probable that the tendons and ligaments, 

 which join on to their extremities, will also be weak. 



A full round hard firm appearance of the muscles of the thigh is an 

 indication of strength in those parts. The muscles of the back should 

 completely fill up the space between the ribs and the upper portion of 

 the spinous processes of the backbone. (See Skeleton, Plate 31.) Any 

 hollow, or in other w r ords any deficiency in the muscles on the sides of 

 that bone is an indication of weakness. 



928. Tendons and Ligaments. 



The Tendons, which are most frequently sprained, are those of the 

 legs. They should be hard, clean, free from any gumminess, broad, and 

 fiat. Breadth and fiatness are the chief elements in the conformation of 

 a, good tendon. The same remarks apply to the superior sesamoideal 

 ligament, commonly called the suspensory ligament. 



All the other many Ligaments which keep in apposition the bones of 

 the various joints likewise need to be strong and well developed ; but out- 



