68 THE PEBFECT HOESE. 



formation here should be distinct and prominent. 

 Quantity and length of bone and muscle should be the 

 peculiar characteristic of this section of the body. 

 Never be persuaded, by any perfection of structure as 

 to the rest of the body, that it can make amends for 

 imperfection and lack at this point. The perfect in 

 nature is reached through the perfection of all the parts 

 which go to compose the whole. No one muscle can 

 do the work assigned by Nature to the other. The 

 length of one bone cannot make good the loss of lever- 

 age, and therefore of propelling power, which results 

 from the shortness of another. You cannot be too severe 

 in your analysis of the horse's frame. Every part of it 

 must be perfect ; every bone and muscle of the proper 

 length, and properly placed ; or else the animal will fail 

 you at the supreme test. He will be a good caj)able 

 horse up to a certain point ; but beyond that, if he is 

 faulty in any part of his organization, no art or contriv- 

 ance of man can push him. He will always come a lit- 

 tle short of that line which your hope had drawn, and 

 which, upon an imperfect examination of him, the aver- 

 age horseman would say he would certainly attain. 

 This great fact should never be forgotten by the 

 breeder when selecting his brood-mares and the horse 

 that is to be the sire of his stables. Faulty parents be- 

 get faulty children. This is Nature's great fiat ; and it is 

 vain for man to seek to elude it. I know that imper- 

 fection of structure can be modified somewhat for the 

 better by judicious crossing ; but the instances in which 



