86 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 



blood from the atmosphere. As the blood feeds 

 upon oxygen and consumes more when the body 

 is in active movement, it is necessary that the 

 heart be large and strong to receive and send the 

 blood in large quantities to its airing or feeding 

 ground, the lungs; also that the lungs be large to 

 receive both it, also the air from without, which 

 has to meet the blood and deliver up most of its 

 oxygen to the blood, and in return receive impuri- 

 ties from the blood and carry them from the 

 lungs. Besides being large and strong, the heart 

 and lungs have to submit to quickened rhythmi- 

 cal movement during the exercise of speed and 

 power, therefore we have to see that the walls of 

 the chest, which we saw were formed by the 

 ribs, are freely moveable. 



Yl. — The belly contains the organs for the con- 

 version of food into the substantial elements for 

 repair of the waste of tissue which the body is 

 always undergoing, but which goes on more 

 quickly when the animal is in greater activity. 

 These organs are for the most part, the stomach 

 and intestines "wdth the largest gland of the body, 

 namely, the liver. The stomach of the horse is 

 comparatively small, but the intestines are very 

 large, and are of necessity kept distended by resi- 

 dual gas, which it is one of the functions of the 

 healthy body to keep evenly balanced in regard 

 both to quantity and quality. This constant dis- 

 tension of the intestines by healthy gas causes 

 that roundness and tension of the belly we see so 

 well marked. When the horse is in hard con- 

 dition, there is a minimum quantity of healthy 



