THE THIGH. 257 



tion of the haunch is characteristic of the thorough-bred horse; and by 

 tlie degree in which it is found, we judge as mucli as by any thing of the 

 breeding of the animal. If the bones at D and E, p. 03, took a somewhat 

 arched form, as they do in the cart-horse, it is evident that the bone O must 

 be more upright, the tliigh-bone P would likewise be more upright, the 

 stifle Q would not be so far under the body, and the power of the horse 

 would be considerably impaired. The oblique direction of the haunch and 

 thigh-bones, produced by the straightness of the line of the spine, does not, 

 as is commonly supposed, afford increased surface for the attachment of 

 muscles, but places the muscles in a direction to act with great advantage. 

 It is in the advantageous direction, quite as much as in the bulk of the 

 muscle, that the strength of the horse consists. It will be seen, from our 

 cuts, that the angles formed by the fore and hind extremities have different 

 directions. One points forward, and the other backward. We should 

 expect this ; for thus the action of the fore-legs least interferes with the 

 chest, and that of the hind legs with the belly. 



Width of haunch is a point of great consequence, for that actually 

 affords more room for the attachment of muscles ; and even though it should 

 be so great as to subject the horse to the charge of being ragged-kipped, 

 and may somewhat offend the eye, it is no detriment to action. If the 

 loins be broad, and the horse be well ribbed home, the protuberances of the 

 ilium can scarcely be too far apart. Many a ragged-hipped horse has pos- 

 sessed both fleetness and strength, but few which were narrow across the 

 haunch could boast of the latter quality. 



The opening through the centre of these bones, which constitutes the 

 passage through which the young animal is expelled from the mother, is 

 large in the mare, and in every quadruped, because there cannot be, from 

 the form of the animal, any danger of abortion from the weight of the 

 foetus pressing on the part. 



The only parts of these bones exposed to injury or fracture are the 

 tuberosities or prominences of the haunch. A fall or blow may chip off 

 and disunite a portion of them. There are no means of forcibly bringing 

 the disunited parts together, and retaining them in their natural position. 

 Nature, however, will cause them to unite, yet generally attended by 

 deformity and lameness. A charge, or very strong adhesive plaster, across 

 ihe haunch may be useful, as helping, in some slight degree, to support the 

 parts, and hold them together. 



THE THIGH. 



In the lower and fore part of the hip-bones is a deep cavity or cup for the 

 reception of the head of the upper bone of the thigh.* Although in the 

 tiction of the hind-legs there cannot be the concussion to which the fjre-legs 

 are exposed (for the weight of the body is never thrown violently upon 

 them), yet in the powerful action of these limbs there is much strain on the 

 joints, and we shall find, therefore, that there are, in all of them, admirable 

 provisions against injury. The head of the upper bone of the thigh is 

 received into a deep cup (the acetabulum), by which it is surrounded on 

 every side, and dislocation from which would seem almost impossible. But 

 the bony cup may give way ? No ! provision is made against this: all three 



♦This, altlioua-h the true thigrh-bone, is so concealed by thick muscles, and seeming-ly 

 '.ly the continuation of tlie carcase, that its situation and shape are not visilile to the eye, 

 and it is g-enorally overlooked by horsemen, who call the next bone, extending- from the 

 Btirii- t > the hock, the thigh: therefore, to render cursives intelligible, wc term thii the 



upper bone of lite Ihigh. 



