66 



THE HORSE. 



It cannot be too strongly impressed upon those who 



represent horses full-face, and consequently see the hocks 



according to their thickness, not to make the base of the 



tibia stronger than the base of the radius limiting- the 



i . 



thickness of the knee, for the tibia (G, H, fig. 32) in a 



healthy condition is, at this place of articulation, of the same 

 size as the radius, or even less, a singularity the more 

 deserving of attention in the instance now being treated 

 because the legs are in perspective. I have been frequently 

 compelled to notice this lack of veracity in drawing. 



These osseous heads of the superior portions of the 

 knee and hock, very apparent when the animal is seen 

 from the front or the rear, are at a slightly greater alti- 

 tude from the ground on the internal face (H, L) than the 

 exterior(G,K). The explanation of this trifling inequality 

 is that the tibia and the radius have a slight inclination 

 from without inwards, from the articulation which binds 

 them to the body, the one to the femur, the other to the 

 humerus. 



J arret 



Fig. 3 2 - 

 The artist usually represents the charger, ox hunter — in 

 fine, the saddle horse — from which are demanded gentle 

 reactions ; for this type it is, therefore, necessary to avoid 

 portraying the hock too straight while retaining the large- 

 ness of its fold at the point, with a clearly- detached 

 tendon, and avoiding a lapse into the opposite excess of 

 closing the angle of the hock, which would predispose the 

 horses to measured gaits. 



The representation of the racehorse necessitates an 

 open and straight hock, especially capable of imparting 

 impulsion in a horizontal direction, almost skimming the 

 around to carry out the gallop at full speed, making full 

 use of all force lengthwise, and only just rising sufficiently 

 from the ground to attain this aim. 



