104 THE BODY. 



THE BODY. 



The relative proportion of the depth of the body, meas- 

 ured from the withers to the brisket, to the length of the 

 body is a trifle less than one-half. 



The body or centrepiece should be compact, with but 

 little space between the last ribs and the thigh. 



The ribs should be well rounded and of considerable 

 depth. Flat-sided horses, other things being equal, have not 

 the substance that horses have that are the possessors of 

 good barrels. The ribs should be well extended from the 

 chest to the loins. As has been said above, there should be 

 but little space between the last ribs and the stifle joint, 

 and if the space is not more than the width of three or four 

 fingers the horse may be considered well knit together in 

 this respect. Too much stress cannot be laid upon a horse 

 being well ribbed up. 



The withers should be high, as they form the fixture to 

 which the suspensory muscles of the neck, the muscles of 

 the upper part of the back, and the forward ones of the 

 shoulder are attached. High withers are especially desirable 

 in a saddle horse ; their value however is dependent upon 

 the presence of moderately developed muscles. If the with- 

 ers are too lean they are apt to become injured from the 

 pressure of the pommel of the saddle, and if too heavy their 

 efficiency in keeping the saddle in place is lost. 



In all horses that are to perform light and rapid work 

 the longer and more sloping the shoulder the better is the 

 animal qualified to fulfil this class of work. 



The back and loins should be short, broad, flat and 

 nearly straight. A hollow back is the sign of weakness. 

 The croup should be almost straight (the horse "Whirl of the 



