THE HACK. 7 



The cannon or shank-bone should be as strong and short 

 as possible, and perfectly straight, being neither curved for- 

 wards, backwards, or sideways ; the tendons behind this bone 

 should stand well out and away from it, which is the case 

 when the bone behind the knee is well developed and promi- 

 nent. The space between these tendons and the bone should 

 be well defined, and rather depressed, but if it is filled up the 

 leg will appear round and puffy, instead of being flat and broad 

 laterally ; such legs are designated " gummy." 



The fetlock joint should be large and flat laterally, the back 

 part being clean and prominent. The pastern bones should 

 neither be too long, short, oblique, or vertical. If the pastern 

 is long it is necessarily very oblique, and therefore weak ; if 

 short it is upright, and therefore predisposed to ringbones, 

 windgalls, navicular disease, etc. ; besides causing the horse to 

 be rough and unpleasant to ride. 



The pastern joint should be well developed and strong. 

 The feet, as regards size and shape, should be neither too large 

 nor too small ; the slope in front should be between 50° and 

 52° angle with the ground ; the sole should be moderately 

 concave, the frog large, strong, and sound; while the whole 

 hoof should be tough, sound, and not brittle. 



The back of the roadster should be rather straight, and 

 not too long, a hollow or concave back being objectionable on 

 account of its weakness; while a convex or "roach" back, 

 though generally strong, makes a horse unpleasant and rough 

 to ride. The ribs should be long and oval, and they should 

 continue to be so as far as the very last rib, while the space 

 between this and the point of the hip should be easily covered 

 by the breadth of the hand. The hind quarters must be long, 

 deep, full, and broad, as well as straight from the back to the 

 tail; the distance from the point of the haunch to the hocks 

 should be great, the stifles prominent, and from there to the 

 hocks large and full. The hocks themselves should be large 



