84 THE HORSE. 



CHAPTER VII. 



PERPENDICULAR. 



The polygon, the lines of which exteriorly circumvent 

 the four feet of the animal in a fictitious manner, con- 

 stitutes its normal station or base of support. 



Viewed in profile, the large side of this base is 

 three-quarters of the length of the horse, from the 

 anterior toe to the posterior toe, a measurement which is 

 again found in the interspace of the trails of the trot. 



The small anterior side of this geometrical figure is 

 about equivalent to a quarter of the whole length of the 

 animal. The side which bounds the external traces of 

 the hind feet is a little smaller. It is unusual for this 

 latter to possess three times the diameter of the hoof, a 

 measurement often found in repose as the separation of 

 the anterior feet upon the ground in the cases of saddle 

 and harness horses, the trail of the shoe of which varies 

 from 12 to 14 centimeters in diameter. 



Because of the force of its chest, the draught horse 

 frequently possesses a more separated anterior base, its foot 

 even covering as much as 16 centimeters in diameter. In 

 support of what I have just observed I would cite a 

 recent verification made at the military school upon the 

 most vigorous horses of a regiment of cuirassiers. 



I have counterdrawn the largest shoes at the forge, 

 without finding any above 16 centimeters, and the farrier 

 having brought me the horse which he considered the 

 most robust in the regiment, it was found to have 71 

 centimeters head measurement, 42 centimeters width of 

 chest, and 16 centimeters of the forefoot. 



That same day I found in a wagon horse having 66 

 centimeters head measurement, with a breadth of chest of 

 46 centimeters, a smaller diameter of the anterior shoe 

 than that of the charger to which I have just alluded. In 



