10 THE ARMY HORSE IN ACCIDENT AND DISEASE. 



The fetlock joint should be of good size and clean; the pasterns of 

 moderate length, and forming an angle of between 45 and 50 degrees 

 with the ground or floor. 



The foot should be of moderate size; a flat foot or one too narrow 

 at the heels is objectionable. 



The relative proportions of the shoulders and the exact shape de- 

 sirable vary considerably in cavalry and artillery horses. Thus, when 

 speed and activity are essential, as in the cavalry horse, the shoulder 

 should be oblique (sloping), as this shape gives elasticity to the gait 

 of the horse. For the artillery horse, working in harness, a more up- 

 right shoulder bears the pressure of the collar more evenly, and when 

 the collar is at right angle to the traces the horse exerts his strength 

 to the greatest advantage. The front line of the shoulder must be 

 clearly marked; an irregular surface or excessive muscular develop- 

 ment in the region marked A (Plate I) prevents a = lose fit of the 

 collar. 



The withers should not be thin and high, as this conformation will 

 allow the saddle to slip too far forward and the pommel will rest upon 

 the withers. The bars of the saddle will be forced against the shoulder 

 blades, causing irritation and inflammation, and preventing free mo- 

 tion of the shoulders; the constraint causes stumbling. On the other 

 hand, the withers should not be low or thick, as the saddle is then 

 apt to pinch them. 



The breast and chest should be of moderate width and have con- 

 siderable depth; the narrow chest indicates weakness, and the wide, 

 heavy chest is suitable for heavy-draft horses only. 



The capacity of the lungs is marked by the size of the chest at the 

 girth, but the stamina will depend upon the length of the back ribs. 

 The barrel should not be broad back of the cinch, as it would cause 

 the cinch to slip forward and chafe the body just back of the point 

 of the elbow. The opposite conformation would allow the saddle and 

 cinch to sUp backward. The back should be short, with muscles well 

 developed, and the upper lines of the back bending down a little be- 

 hind the withers and then swelling out very gently to the junction of 

 the loins, which can hardly be too broad and muscular. 



The last rib should be placed close to the point of the hip, as this 

 is an indication of strength, and the horse is more easily kept in good 

 condition than one having the opposite conformation. 



A slightly arched loin is essential to the power of carrying weight; 

 the concave or "sway-back" is therefore a sign of weakness; the 

 much arched or ' ' roach back ' ' is almost sure to give uneasy action from 

 its want of elasticity. 



The hips should be broad, smooth, and muscular. 



The croup shouW be well rounded, should slope slightly downward 

 and be of moderate length; both the straight, horizontal croup and 



