12 HORSES AND RIDING. 



not think there is any good reason for this. A wide- 

 chested horse's fore legs are a considerable distance 

 apart, while a narrow, deep-girthed horse's legs are 

 close together. Now, of all the things which annoy 

 owners of horses, and particularly young horses, two 

 of the most common are a horse's back getting sore 

 from the saddle i)inching his withers, and horses 

 cutting their fetlocks, by striking them in going, 

 with the opposite foot. 



Now, a wide-chested horse is exempt from both 

 these evils. Again, a round, punchy carcase, with good 

 back ribs, will more often, though not invariably, be 

 found in conjunction with a thick, wide chest. 



For these reasons I should prefer a horse that 

 stood with his fore legs considerably apart. 



The third view of a horse is to stand behind him. 

 This shows the width of the horse's hi^^s and thighs, 

 and whether his hocks are straight. Here, again, 

 though a horse's hocks should look straight, it is 

 better they should be too near together than too far 

 apart. Looking from this point there are three 

 curves on each side of the horse's hind quarters, the 

 ui)per curves being the hips, the second the thighs, 

 and the third curve the second thighs. 



In a well-shaped horse the first and second 

 curves should be the same width across the horse ; 

 the second, that is, the thighs, being if anything the 

 widest ; and the third curves rather narrower. Look- 

 ing between the hind legs, the lower a horse's hind 



