POWER AND SIZE. 9 



The largest of them are naturally bred on the strongest land, and 

 where the heaviest ploughing has to be done. The heaviest and 

 most handsome of these are picked out for heavy, slow, showy, 

 city, or railway work, which they do to perfection. On a 

 moderately good hard road each of these horses takes two tons as 

 his ordinary load, and nothing will equal them in starting and 

 shifting railway waggons. Less handsome specimens are purchased 

 for road waggons. The mild temper of these horses adapts them 

 admirably for large teams, where a long waiting pull is required, 

 or to guide good-temperedly to the voice or whip, without rushing 

 into the collar, as hotter tempered horses are so prone to do. 

 Three of these brood mares can take a double-furrow plough even 

 through heavy stiff land, and they are taught more easily than any 

 other horses to go gently, and stop at roots in wood land, or , 

 amongst other obstacles. 



The largest of these horses will girth eight feet, and they 

 have altogether a roomy heavy body, on very strong, but not long 

 legs. Their thighs should be very muscular, and their hocks 

 deep, as in starting heavy loads the hind legs are tried more 

 severely than tlic foie ones. Many persons like to see very large 

 shank bones, and a quantity of hair on their legs, but neither are 

 of any use further than that they often accompany a strong frame 

 and good muscular development. The hair will often gather dirt 

 and add weight where it is lifted at a great mechanical dis- 

 advantage, so that all such hair, as well as any unnecessary size of 

 shank bone, only tends to tire the horse by taxing his muscles for 

 no useful purpose. It has been calculated that a power equal to 

 four hundred pounds has to be exerted at the loins of the horse to 

 lift one pound weight at the foot ; so that an unnecessary pound 

 there is a matter of no small consideration (43). 



The smallest shank bone of any horse is almost invariably 

 strong enough for any work he has to do, and, other things being 

 equal, a horse with a light shank bone never tires so soon as a 

 horse with a heavy one. Strong, large sinews at the back of the 

 shank bone are, on the contrary, of great consequence, giving a 

 deep flat (not a round) appearance to both fore and hind legs. 

 This is a severely tried point with every hard-worked horse, and 



