^i)t f^or^c to Bui). 49 



though the enlargement may be palpable enough. 

 Capped hocks are only an eyesore, but avoid little 

 weak hocks, however free from deformity. On the 

 other hand, I would advise purchasers to be very 

 shy of discarding a horse they otherwise like on 

 account of the even suspicious coarseness of his 

 hocks, provided he flexes them well in his paces. 



Thighs, gaskins and arms should be large and 

 muscular (but their development will, of course, 

 depend much upon "condition"), and the measure- 

 ments from hip to hock and elbow to knee should 

 be as proportionately long as the canon bones should 

 be short. 



Hips I prefer ragged to narrow, and perhaps 

 neither one nor the other to either; but a very 

 narrow-hipped horse would have to show exceptional 

 strength, both in the muscles below them and the 

 loin, to engage my attention, and unless I knew 

 from my own knowledge to the contrary, I should 

 not readily believe such an one, without those re- 

 deeming points, to be capable of exercising the 

 same jumping powers as his wider or ragged-hipped 

 neighbour, even supposing the latter to be a trifle 

 short in his back ribs to boot. It is immaterial how 

 the tail is set on except for appearance, but a high- 

 couraged horse more usually than not, in horsey 

 parlance, " carries both ends well." 



D 



