104 THE HORSE 



such as have a deep and wide back and loin, avoiding either the " roach 

 back," which causes that part to be inflexible, and the hollow one, which 

 tends to give wa}' too much under weight, but regarding as most desirable 

 such a width of ribs and hips, and depth of spinous processes as shall give 

 sufiicient lodgment for muscles, and looking also for a proper length of spine, 

 not too short for stride, nor too long for strength. Lastl}^, let the pelvis be 

 attached at such an angle as to give a slight droop to the quarters, whether 

 the tail be set on in correspondence with it or not, for the dock does not 

 always come out of the pelvis in the same position viewed in relation to 

 that part alone. Some of the above opinions are in opposition to those of 

 Mr. Percivall, who objects to a great width of hip in the race-horse, and 

 also asserts that he cannot be too lengthy and straight in his quarters. He 

 says, " although the race-horse may prove disadvantageously broad across 

 his hips, I believe that he will never be found either too lengthy or too 

 straight in his quarters ; by which I mean the length and elevation of an 

 imaginary line carried from either hip to the point of his quarter, or of 

 another carried from the summit of his rump to the root of his hock. Such 

 straight formation of quarter implies small degree of inclination in the 

 position of the pelvis, the effect of which is extension of the angles between 

 the pelvis and the femoral bones, and cori'esponding increase of the distances 

 between the pelvis and the stifles in front, and between the pelvis and hocks 

 behind ; thereby augmenting the dimensions of the muscles running between 

 these salient points, and at the same time furnishing them with, under the 

 circumstances, the greatest advantages in their action. Length and straight- 

 ncss in the quarters must therefore be regarded as characteristic attributes 

 of the race-horse." Of the probability of meeting with too great a width of 

 hip in the race-horse I am extremely doubtful. The Melbournes, which have 

 this part wider than in any other strain, are certainly not to be despised, 

 and, in spite of Mr. Percivall, I must, on the contrary, continue to admire 

 them, whenever they are to be found ; my chief regi'et is that wide hips are 

 so scarce among the descendants of that horse. 



The second division of the body, or the chest, in the thoroughbred 

 horse, must afford sufiicient room for the heart and lungs, but it must not 

 be too wide, or it will interfere with the free play of the shoulder blade 

 as it glides on the side. An open bosom is regarded as a sure sign of want 

 of pace by eveiy racing man of experience and I know of no single 

 exception. One of the finest two-year-olds I ever saw in every other 

 respect was Lord Standbroke's Rose de Florence ; but I could have laid 

 any reasonable odds that she would be deficient in pace, because she was 

 made as wide as a cart-horse between the fore-legs, and she proved to be 

 so on trial. A horse of 15 hands 3 or 16 hands when in stud condition 

 should measure at least seventy-four inches, and should be wide through 

 the part where the rider's knees come on the saddle ; but below this the 

 ril)S should rapidly shelve inwards, and in this way allow the shoulder 

 points to come closer together, and the elbows to act witliout being " tied." 

 The anatomy of this part is treated of elsewhere, and I am now regarding 

 it simply in its proportion to the rest of the body. Anatomically, and 

 considered pe?' se, a round or barrel-like chest is the best, because it admits 

 of more free expansion and contraction, but when either high speed or 

 smooth action is required, this formation is ol)jecl.ionaV)le for the reasons I 



