THE SHOULDER. 249 



fast moving end, and strong at tlieir slow or powerful end. Each 

 of the four supports of the horse's body is a lever, so arranged 

 as to give speed to his feet at the expense of power, so that in 

 judging of the horse's power or speed, we must estimate it, not 

 by the small end of the lever at the shanks, but by the quantity 

 and quality of the muscles, arranged on the loins, the haunches 

 and the shoulders. The direction of each bone in these complicated 

 supports, and the angle at which they lie to each other, is a 

 matter of much consequence in estimating the capabilities and 

 pleasantness of the horse, but to go fully into this subject would 

 require a very long chapter on anatomy, which we wish to avoid, 

 as we know that such chapters are not often read. 



THE SirOULDER. 



597. — The top bone in the structure of the front supports of 

 the horse is the scapula, blade bone, shoulder blade, or upper 

 shoulder bone. Unlike the topmost bones in the hinder supports, 

 it does not touch the spine, though it reaches above the spinal 

 column, and is not attached to it, except by the muscles that are 

 attached to both. It is strongly embedded in large muscles, and 

 reaches from the point of the shoulder to nearly the top of the 

 wither. Its height, its length, and above all the angle at which it 

 slopes back as it rises, are very important features in considering 

 the value of a horse. The more it slopes back the more advan- 

 tageously it will be connected, both with the assisting muscles 

 of the back and loins, and with the resisting weight that it has 

 to sustain and move through the lower shoulder bone, so that with 

 sufficient slope, the fore legs will be lifted farther and more 

 easily, the saddle will be carried farther back, and the fore legs 

 will be set on further forward. Its back slope thus contributes 

 in several different ways to the ease and safety of the rider, 

 and to the moving power and endurance of the horse. 



5'J8. — For the mere plough horse, or for any horse for slow 

 draft, where fast, graceful, and safe action is not demanded, an 

 upright shoulder does very well, perha[)S better than any other, 

 as a horse so formed|must have heavy shoulder muscles to com- 

 pensate for the disadvantage at which he uses them. Such heavy 



