106 THE LEGS AND FEET. 



The preference for knees that are " well let down " is due to 

 the advantage of a horse having a short canon and a long 

 forearm. 



The fetlocks viewed from the side should not extend be- 

 yond the lines of the canon bones and back tendons, but 

 their roundness should be apparent when viewed from the 

 front. 



The pasterns should be moderately long and sloping, in 

 order to give the elasticity required to offset the concussion 

 which the foot would otherwise receive and transmit to the 

 body. Horses may have pasterns that slope to such a de- 

 gree that they are unable to bear the weight of the body, 

 which results in their "breaking down"; but in the majority 

 of cases the pasterns are too upright, and under such con- 

 ditions the delicate construction of the feet is injured, as 

 well as the bones and tendons of the legs. It is impossible 

 to describe what the exact length and slope of the pastern 

 should be, but the reader may form a correct idea by study 

 of the plate representing " The Whirl of the Town." 



HIND LEGS. 



As the hind legs afford the chief power of propulsion, it 

 is important that a proper relation in size and length 

 should exist between the various joints, together with good 

 muscular development. 



As the weight of the body is best supported when the 

 hind feet are under the end of the croup, the hocks and fet- 

 locks should fall a little back of a line dropped from the 

 buttocks. 



Viewed from the rear the thighs should be long and well 

 rounded, the legs from the hocks to the fetlocks parallel 



