CONFORMATION OF THE HORSE. 7 



dealer may measure this same horse for another 

 would-be buyer, who requires an animal at fifteen 

 hands, and measures it in his presence. It is an 

 easy matter to make a horse appear one or two 

 inches higher or lower than he really is by placing 

 him upon a stone or sloping ground, and this 

 practice is commonly done in dealers' establish- 

 ments. If the purchaser wishes to ascertain the 

 correct height he should take the animal on to 

 a level road, and measure it for himself. Some 

 horses have very ugly withers, being much too 

 humpy in their region. 



The Chest. 



No matter what breed of horse, depth of chest 

 is of primary importance, because it indicates 

 plenty of room for free play of heart and lungs. The 

 lower front boundary of the chest is formed by the 

 breast or brisket, and a large proportion of the 

 chest wall is under cover of the shoulders, and it is 

 at this part, where its greatest depth exists. The 

 side walls of the chest are formed by the ribs and 

 their muscles, etc., and the roof of the chest is 

 made up of the upper borders of the ribs, and the 

 junction of these with the bodies of the dorsal 

 vertebrae. Cart horses should be well sprung in 



