34 THE PEKFECT HORSE. 



family, whicli, in our opinion, have produced more rapid 

 trotters, all things being considered, than any other 

 branch of the American trotting family. And in proof 

 of this, although the data gathered are not by any means 

 complete, and do not show the family to the best ad- 

 vantage of which it is capable, I would refer the reader 

 to that section of this volume in which I discuss the 

 Morgan family at length. 



There are two bones which in the skeleton represent 

 the shoulder, and which are of such importance as to 

 deserve prominent mention ; the uppermost of which is 

 called the scapula. This bone, beginning at the edge of 

 the withers, runs downward until it makes an angle with 

 the next succeeding bone (the humerus), near the front- 

 breast. Two points in reference to it should be especially 

 noted : first, it cannot be too long for the purposes of 

 speed ; secondly, its upper extremity should lie in as close 

 as possible to the ribs and spine. The scapula is a wide, 

 flat bone embedded in a great mass of muscles, and so 

 protected by Nature as to be almost invulnerable to any 

 shock or wrench. In ninety-nine cases in a hundred, 

 '' shoulder lameness" is in reahty a lameness in the foot 

 or lower bones of the leg, no matter what the " horse- 

 doctor " of the neighborhood may say. I have never 

 seen an instance of hond-fide shoulder lameness; al- 

 though I have seen scores of horses being treated for 

 that complaint. As a peculiarity of construction, and as 

 evidence of that supreme wisdom with which God 

 tlirough Nature acts, it should be noted that the shoul- 



