4 ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP 



should be broad and deep,* and the pasterns of the fore 

 legs strong, of a moderate length, and of a nice slope, 

 the distance from knee to fetlock being short, whilst 

 the hind pasterns should not be long and sloping, but 

 on the contrary rather short and strong. 



Being satisfied with the feet and legs, let us have 

 a look at the body : prefer nice sloping, muscular 

 shoulders, running well into the back, long from the 

 withers to the point, and not loaded or thick at either 

 end. As the horse walks past, the point of the shoulder 

 should not appear to stick out unduly ; if it does the 

 horse will be cramped and stilted in his action and not 

 worth buying for a hunter. We must not be content 

 with examining only the slope of the shoulder ; it is 

 of great importance that the humerus, i.e., the bone 

 between the point of the shoulder and the elbow, 

 should be only moderately oblique, the elbow low and 

 free of the horse's side, and the fore legs placed well 

 forward, so that a plumb-line dropped from the point 

 of the shoulder touches the toe. 



A fair indication as to the good placing of the 

 shoulder is the position of the groove underneath the 

 horse into which the girth fits ; this should be well 

 back from the elbow, say, 9 inches ; if it is near the 

 elbow, the shoulder is almost certain to be straight, 

 since as a general rule a horizontal arm, and conse- 

 quently an elbow too near the girth groove, accom- 

 panies a straight shoulder. It must be remembered 

 that the shoulder blade is quite distinct from the 



* The joints must be large and the bones to which the raising 

 and propelling muscles are attached must be long in horses 

 required for long, fast work, so as to secure free circulation of the 

 blood and a long stride and the minimum contraction of the 

 muscles in a given distance. 



