HORSE— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



bosom, and should gradually diminish till 

 it runs into the head, with an elegant 

 bend just behind the ear. A very narrow 

 throat suddenly bent at the upper part, 

 marked as the thropple, is apt to be con- 

 nected with roaring, and on that account 

 is objected to by horsemen. 



In the Fore-quarter there are several 

 points to be attentively examined, and 

 among these, the shoulder is regarded as 

 of most consequence, when the horse 

 under consideration is intended for the 

 saddle. It is evident that unless there is 

 length of the blade, and also of the true 

 arm, there cannot be a full surface for the 

 attachment and play of the muscles, nor 

 can there be the same amount of spring 

 to take off the jar which follows each foot- 

 fall. The straighter the angle formed by 

 the long axis of each of these bones, the 

 less spring there will be. So, also, if the 

 angle is not sufficient, the muscles of the 

 shoulder-blade will not thrust forward the 

 true arm, nor will the latter be sufficiently 

 clothed with muscles (without being 

 loaded) to act on the fore-arm, commonly 

 known by the horseman as the arm. 

 Hence it is found that with an upright 

 shoulder not only is the stride in all the 

 paces short and the action stumpy, but 

 there is not that elastic movement which 

 enables the horse to carry his body along 

 rapidly and evenly, without rising alter- 

 nately behind and before, and thereby jar- 

 ring himself or his rider. On the other hand, 

 the upright shoulder, loaded with a thick 

 mass of muscles, is useful in the cart- 

 horse, and to a certain extent also in the 

 carriage-horse, in both of which the 

 pressure of the collar requires a steady 

 and comparatively motionless surface to 

 bear it. It follows, therefore, that horses 

 intended to have high, and at the same 

 time forward action, should have oblique 

 shoulders, for without them they will 

 almost to a certainty either have very 

 Clean and low action, or, if they do bend 

 their knees, they will put their feet down 

 again nearly on the same place as they 

 took them from, which peculiarity we so 

 often see displayed in the cart breed, or 

 those nearly allied to it. This is one of 

 the most important uses of the obliquity 

 of the shoulder-blade as it seems to us, 

 and one which has not been generally 

 admitted by writers on this branch of the 

 subject, though all are ready to admit 



that in some way or other this formation 

 is essential to good action. Another rea- 

 son for the obliquity of the shoulder in 

 the riding-horse, is that without it the sad- 

 dle is not kept back in its proper place, 

 and the horseman's weight being thus 

 thrown too forward, the action of the 

 fore-quarter is impeded. Mere obliquity, 

 however, is not sufficient for this purpose, 

 for without a proper development of 

 muscle the blade itself will not keep the 

 saddle in its place. If, therefore, there is 

 a hollow just behind the top of the blade, 

 even if this is slanting enough, you must 

 expect the saddle to slip forward, and 

 should, in all doubtful cases, be careful to 

 put one on before concluding a purchase. 

 The point of the shoulder should be well 

 developed, but not showing any rough 

 protuberances, which are equally objec- 

 tionable with a fiat or ill-developed point. 

 The length of the true arm is mainly de- 

 pendent upon that of the blade; but 

 sometimes, when this is oblique enough, 

 the true arm is short and upright, and the 

 elbow stands under, or only a little be- 

 hind the shoulder point. This is a very 

 faulty conformation, and is seldom at- 

 tended with good action. The chief de- 

 fect in the elbow is seen when it turns 

 inwards and rubs so closely against the 

 ribs that the finger can hardly be insinu- 

 ated between them and it. Here the 

 elbow is said to be tied, or confined, and 

 the horse is very apt to turn his toes out; 

 while the opposite formation is indicated 

 by turned-in, or " pigeon" toes, and turned- 

 out elbows, frequently accompanying long- 

 standing rheumatism of the shoulders. It 

 does sometimes happen, however, that the 

 toes are turned in or out without affecting 

 the elbow, but this is an exception to the 

 rule. A long and muscular fore-arm is a 

 sure accompaniment of strong and sweep- 

 ing action, and should bexarefully prized; 

 in other respects there is little to be noted 

 here. Next comes the knee, which should 

 be broad, and when looked at from the 

 front should be much wider than the limb 

 above and below. It should taper off 

 backwards to a comparatively thin edge, 

 and should have a good development of 

 the pisiform bone, which projects back- 

 wards at its upper part. The leg, imme- 

 diately below the knee, should be as 

 large as any other part, and not " tied in " 

 there, which indicates a weakness of this 



