252 cyclopedia of lxfe stock and complete stock doctor. 



Inches. 



Width across the forehead 9 1-2 



From the withers to the hip 22 



From the stifle to the point of the hock, in the attitude shown in the 



plan 29 



From the root of the tail to the stifle-joint 26 



From the point of the hoclf to the gi-ound 22 1-2 



Length of arm from the elbow to the pisiform bone (the rear bone of 



those forming the upper articulation of the knee) • 19 1-2 



From the pisiform bone to the ground 19 1-2 



Girth varies from 78 to 79 



Circumference of fore-cannon bone (large metacarpal or shank bone, 



extending from the knee to the fetlock) 7 1-2, 8, 8, 8, 8 1-2 and 9 



Circumference of arm just below the elbow 16 1-2 to 18 



VI. Description of Eclipse. 



That wonderful horse, Eclipse, differed essentially from this model. His 

 head was of the average length in the six horses above, but was of 

 extraordinary ^^^dth across the eyes — said to have been twelve inches. He 

 was very low before and yet was 66 inches in height. As Mr. Percival 

 sums him up, "he was a big horse in every sense of the word ; he was 

 tall in stature, lengthy and capacious in body, and large m his limbs. For 

 a big horse, his head was small, and partook of the Arabian character. 

 His neck was unusually long. His shoulders w^ere strong, sufficiently 

 oblique, and though not remarkable for, not deficient in, depth. His 

 chest was circular. He rose very little in his withers, being higher 

 behind than before. His back was lengthy, and, over the loins, 

 roached. His quarters were straight, square and extended. His limbs 

 were lengthy and broad, and his joints large. In particular, his arms and 

 thighs were long and muscular, and his knees and hocks broad and well- 

 formed." As a weight-carrying, swift, long-distance racer it is not 

 probable that his equal will soon again be seen. He was a phenomenon. 



For racing, and especially for leaping, and for saddle horses, select the 

 superior points of Eclipse, as many of them as you can find, leaving out 

 the low withers. Except for draft, the horse that will come nearest 

 to the points we have named, will be sure to give satisfaction. 



VH. What Constitutes a Good Horse. 



It is the ability to perform in the best manner the particular labor for 

 which he is intended, that constitutes a good horse. Within the last 

 fifty years, and especially ^vithin the last thirty years, particular atten- 

 tion has been paid to the breeding of animals especially adapted to draft, 

 to the road, to use as fine carriage horses, and to trotting. The race 

 horse, the saddje horse, and the hunting horse may be said to have 

 attained about as high a degree of perfection as man is able to give them. 



