THE WIND. 



107 



breathe about ijine times per minute. In all cases 

 there ought to be this ratio 1—4 or thereabout. 

 Should this ratio be absent to any marked extent, 

 such for instance as a breathing rate of fifteen, and 

 a pulse rate of forty, disease is present. Exercise in 

 moderation increases both pulse and respiration, both 

 are quickened, but the ratio is more or less retained. 

 Anyhow, when the horse comes to stand and rest, 

 the ratio in health is soon re-established. In very 

 small horses, such as Shetland ponies, the pulse may 

 be forty or fort3^-four per minute, and the breathing 

 eleven, but there is still the ratio 1—4 in health. 

 Many things disturb this ratio, disease, fright, grief, 

 joy, &c., by quickening the pulse, and affecting less 

 the breathing. 



In order to acquire dexterity in judging the ' wind' 

 it is best to get a horse known to have perfect 

 ' wind' into a grass field, and have him slowly trotted 

 round you in a circle about the size of an ordi- 

 nary horse-rider's circus. Noise must 7iecessarily be 

 made in breathing, but there ought to be no dis- 

 tress exhibited, no difficulty in getting breath, no 

 noises except soft blowing — no whistling or grunt- 

 ing. After a reasonable time, long before the 

 animal shows signs of distress, he should be stopped, 

 and notice be taken lioiu long the breathing is in 

 quieting down. This time is easily judged if the 

 examiner will judge the horse by himself— if healthy 

 —as the same length of time is required after the 

 same proportion of exertion in the two cases. In 



