48 Cfje J^ori^e to Bup. 



tendency to flatness, or, worse still, contraction — of 

 medium size, proportionate to the size and general 

 symmetry of their owner, and, of course, sound. 

 The coronets should be free from any suspicion of 

 ring, or side bones, and the pasterns of moderate 

 length ; the fetlock joints flat (I abhor those small 

 round joints, with which some horses are foaled), 

 whilst the legs and sinews below the knees and hocks 

 should be straight, clean, and, above all, free from 

 sprains, however slight ; if from splints, too, all the 

 better, although these are seldom, when formed, of 

 any real detriment to the owner if sufficiently forward 

 not to press upon the sinews, and not situated so 

 near a joint as to impede its free action, provided 

 that from their position, and the horse's style of 

 going, they are not liable to be struck in his paces. 

 Knees and hocks should be large, the latter being 

 free from thoroughpin, bog or bone shavin, and if 

 from curbs also, so much the better. Curbs are, 

 however, in my opinion, and so far as my experience 

 has gone, seldom any real permanent detriment to 

 a middle, or light weight hunter, and are more fre- 

 quently developed by naturally bold free jumpers, 

 when their powers have been taxed too early or 

 too severely, than by other less gifted or generous 

 animals. Old, or I should perhaps say seasoned, 

 horses are hardly ever, I have found, lame with them. 



