EXTERNAL FORMATION 103 



carrying weight, therefore, a short back is to be preferred ; but there is a 

 limitation put to this by the necessity for length of limb to give pace, and 

 if the legs are too long for the back, the action of the fore-quarter is 

 impeded by the hind, and vice versd. Hence, in all horses, a reasonable 

 length is preferred, and this will vary according to the occasion for weight- 

 carrying power. In the thoroughbred horse, pace is essential, and his back 

 must consequently be of sufficient length to allow the free use of such limbs 

 as will give stride enough to develop it. We shall hereafter find, that the 

 cart-horse may have a much shorter back, even though he has no weight to 

 carry, but he requires strong couplings of the hind and fore-quarter for the 

 former to act upon, in dragging heavy weights, and as in him pace, beyond 

 the walk, is never required, a short back may be allowed to be a great 

 advantage without any attendant evil. The most important elements of 

 strength in the back and loins are the depth and breadth of its muscles, for 

 they, and not the bones, as I have shown, are the real mechanical means by 

 which not only weight is carried, but propelled. Now to lodge these muscles, 

 there must be high spinous processes, wide hips, and such a formation of the 

 ribs as to give width at their upper parts. Generally speaking the two last 

 coincide, but sometimes the hips stand out in a very "ragged" or prominent 

 position, while the ribs are flat. This formation, however, comes next to 

 the most approved combination, and is far better than the narrow hips and 

 flat sides which we now see in too many of our thoroughbred horses. In 

 connection with this division of the body may be taken the croup, the upper 

 outline of which is formed by the prolongation of the spine towards the root 

 of the tail ; but the essential parts are made up by the pelvis. It is very 

 generally assumed that in order to develop high speed, the pelvis must be 

 long, and this I believe to be perfectly true ; but the length need not be in 

 a perfectly horizontal direction, and is I think much better if developed at 

 an inclination of about twenty-five degrees, that is to say, with a consider- 

 able fall. With this formation there may be the same length for the 

 attachment of muscles and the same leverage in their action on the thigh, 

 for the situation of the hip-joint (or round bone) is not altered in relation 

 to them, though it is lower and more forward in reference to the spine. 

 Hence the muscles which draw the thigh forward have more power, and 

 also act much more quickly, giving that rapid thrust of the hind-legs for- 

 ward which is essential to good and strong action. With the perfectly 

 horizontal croup you may have a long sweeping stroke which tells over such 

 a course as Newmarket, but you very rarely meet with a quick coupling and 

 uncoupling, unless the pelvis is set on to the sacrum or continuation of the 

 spine, at a considerable angle, so as to give the quarters more or less droop. 

 Most of our best horses have exhibited this formation, while a great number 

 of very handsome, but utterly useless brutes, might be enumerated which 

 possess the high croup of the Arab in an exaggerated condition. If the 

 portraits of the Godolphin Barb are at all to be depended on, we are indebted 

 to him for the introduction of this useful, though not particularly elegant 

 shape, and I believe that it is in this direction, and in point of size, that he 

 has been so useful in the stud. The eye is captivated by the animal, which, 

 as the dealers say, "has both ends up; " and experience teaches every horse- 

 man, who will profit by it, that both the stargazer and the high-crouped 

 horse are to be avoided. In selecting the thoroughbred horse, then, choose 



