26 ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



the " barrel"). Its shape is in accord with the arch and depth of the ribs 

 and the length of the back and loin, 

 rhe ribs. The fibs. — Should be well hooped ("sprung"), and deep, so as to 



give plenty of room for heart, lungs, stomach and bowels. They should 

 reach well back, so that there is not much space between the last rib and 

 the point of the hip {i.e., " well ribbed up "). At the ^'- girth place '^ ]us\. 

 behind the elbow, there should be a slight upward curve of the breast- 

 bone, which gives the spot its name. From the girth place to the stifle 

 the lower line of the barrel should carry along with a very slight upward 

 tendency, not running up between the hind legs like a greyhound, or 

 looking " pot-bellied," but it varies somewhat according to the condition 

 of the animal under notice. The hunter or troop horse should be " deep 

 through the heart," i.e., just behind the elbow, have deep back ribs, and 

 be well ribbed up. Shallow bodies, wanting depth through heart and 

 back ribs, and barrels running up light behind, are to be avoided, as 

 they are not shapes likely to stand hardship or give endurance. The 

 same applies to narrow "flat-sided" horses, in which the arch of the ribs 

 is insufficient to give room for large, well developed lungs and hearts. 



Many terms are commonly used to express the appearance of the 

 barrel, " herring gutted," " like a greyhound," " waspy," " tucked up " and 

 "light," all being indicative of smallness from various reasons, while " pot 

 belly," " cow belly," and " grass belly " imply a large or pendulous 

 condition. 

 The fore- The fore limb — The shoulder. — While all are agreed as to the require- 



limb.— ments of a good shoulder, many differences of opinion will be found in 

 ^^^ actual practice. The typical shoulder should start from a wither of fair 



shoulder, jjgjgj^j. ^^^ j^^^^g ^ long, well-sloped shoulder blade. The blade should 

 be muscular, but the muscles should not be lumped on to it either at the 

 top or point ; rather they should give the appearance of being neatly 

 slipped into their places and finished off with a plane. The lower part of 

 the shoulder, from point to elbow, should be short and muscular, and the 

 muscles which fill up the angle behind the shoulder joint should be large 

 and prominent, especially at the lower part near the elbow. The shoulder 

 is said to be "loaded" at the top or point when the muscles of those 

 parts appear too bulky and lumpy. "Upright shoulders " are those in 

 which the slope of the shoulder blade is considered insufficient, and " short 

 shoulders " are those which are judged to have too little depth from 

 wither to elbow. The shoulder should be set well back on the ribs, and 

 not far forward and up the neck. The placing of the shoulder makes all 

 the difference to the conformation of the forehand, the carriage of the 

 saddle and the distribution of the rider's weight. Upright shoulders, 



