THE RACEHORSE. 15 



The foot should be high at the heels, and indeed 

 tolerably high all over ; very concave underneath, and 

 tolerably wide at the bars ; for if not wide at the bars 

 the frog cannot be well developed, and is more liable 

 to disease, on account of which the chief support — 

 indeed, the greatest protector attached to the action 

 of the foot — is lost. The frog, being so elastic and yet 

 firm, is capable of resisting the most terrible shock, 

 and without injury to the foot. In examining the foot 

 great care should be taken that there is no swelling 

 nor enlargement on the coronet, and that the horn 

 be of a healthy colour, and of an even regular form ; 

 if rings are evident, of a sort of dirty reddish hue, 

 disease has been going on, and most probably an odd 

 foot will be the consequence. 



This has very frequently been the weak point in 

 many of the Orlandos, good and racing like as they 

 nearly all are. That grand mare, Melissa, used fairly 

 to pick her way, avoiding every stone in the road 

 about as carefully as an old maid's cat shrinks from the 

 trap-like puddles in her path. 



On a flat or slightly uphill course, a bad footed horse 

 may run successfully, but when he is called upon to go 

 down a steep pitch at the top of his foot on tolerably 

 hard ground, nothing but sheer gameness can enable 

 him to persevere. 



THE TRUXK. 



Great importance is generally attached to what 

 is termed great depth of girth. Indeed, I have fre- 



