S TANDA RD — S TA NDING 



without being bustled all the way. The possession of stamina, 

 of course, depends a good deal on the question of wind, and 

 therefore any suspicion of unsoundness of the respiratory 

 organs is opposed to staying-power. There must also be 

 plenty of room for the heart and lungs to work in, and 

 hence depth of chest is essential to its presence, whilst 

 pluck, and an easy, smooth action are likewise indispensable. 

 (See Action, Courage, Speed, Stayei\) 



Standard. — The height of a horse is taken by a standard 

 made out of a straight, upright piece of wood about 6 feet 

 high, and marked upwards from the ground in inches like 

 an ordinary rule, and so shaped that a straight cross-piece, 

 some 1 8 inches long, can slide up and down it. The horse 

 to be measured must be stood on level, hard ground such 

 as is provided by a flat piece of pavement, boards, or brick- 

 work — soft ground or grass will not ensure accurate results — 

 with the standard alongside him so that the cross - piece 

 can be slid down to the level of the top of his withers. This 

 being done, the distance from the ground to the bottom 

 of the cross-piece where it joins the upright represents the 

 height of the horse, as this can be ascertained by seeing 

 the number of inches on the standard. There are several 

 varieties of standard, all more or less complicated, and some 

 of these are undoubtedly improvements upon the above, 

 which, however, if used by a careful and experienced man, 

 will be found to be accurate enough. It may be added that 

 occasionally horses are very difficult to measure, as some are 

 fidgety, and others crouch when under the cross-piece, so 

 patience must be exercised. (See Hand, Height.) 



Standing. — When a horse is standing still in harness 

 or saddle he should do so with all his legs placed well under 

 him, and carry himself upright. The practice indulged in 

 by some owners of horses of teaching the latter to stand with 

 their fore-legs stretched out in front and the back ones behind 

 is simply ridiculous. (See Stretching.) 



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