THE BODY AND LIMBS. 31 



which is very seldom the case, the action will be confined ; 

 such a horse, however, generally treads fiat, even, and safe. 

 When the foot stands behind the vertical line, the defect is 

 more considerable ; for it makes the forehand heavy, and 

 inclines the animal to fall ; and as, in general, the conse- 

 quence of such formation is a want of extent and obliquity 

 in the shoulders, so it tends to detract from the speed. 



The carcass or trunk comprises the ribs, belly, loins, 

 flank, and haunch. The ribs form the chest of the horse, 

 which should be wide upwards, and as much deepened 

 below as possible, affording what is popularly termed great 

 depth in the girth. The capacity of the chest is dependent 

 on its form more than its mere external measurement ; for 

 two horses shall be measured, and shall yield the same 

 apparent dimensions, yet one shall have much larger lungs 

 than the other. It is, therefore, not depth alone in the 

 chest that is required, but sufficient breadth also. This 

 form increases the surface of attachment for the muscles, 

 and very materially assists respiration. Posteriorly, the ribs 

 should form the body as much as possible into a circular 

 figure, that being of all others the most extended, and the 

 best surface for absorption ; thus barrelled horses, as they 

 are called, are justly preferred ; for a circle contains much 

 more than an ellipsis of the same circumference. But when 

 the chest is too straight and flat, the belly is also small ; 

 hence neither can the blood absorb its vital principle from 

 the air, nor the lacteals sufficiently extract the chyliferous 

 juices from the food which passes into the intestines. 

 Horses, therefore, with these defects, are neither long- 

 winded nor lasting in their exertions. As less nutriment is 

 taken up by the lacteals, so less is eaten ; thus also these 

 horses seldom are good feeders ; and as weakness is the result 

 of deficient nutriment, hence they are what is termed washy, 

 that is, easily purged, whereby an additional cause of ex- 

 haustion exists, from the too early passing off of the food. 

 Nevertheless, it must be remarked, that these sort of horses 

 sometimes prove better workers than one would expect, 

 and are conunonly spirited and lively. A knowledge of the 

 advantages gained by size in the belly is what constituted 

 Mr. Bakewell's grand secret in the breeding of cattle : he 

 always bred from such as would be most likely to produce 



