53 



CHAPTER VI. 



DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT IN THE HORSE's BODY. 

 Comparative Weight borne by the Fore and Hind Limits— Centre of Gravity. 



Comparative Weight borne by the Fore and Hind Limbs. — 



General Morris, of the French Army, appears to have been the first 

 to make experiments as to the distribution of weight between the fore 

 and hind limbs of the horse. He found that, taking one animal with 

 another, it is as five is to four ; and that the fact of the neck being long, 

 as in the thorough-bred, causes more weight to be thrown on the fore-hand, 

 than when that part is short and massive, as in the heavy cart-horse. 

 The proportion which he obtained from an average of eleven horses 

 that had light heads and necks — the latter being presumably long — 

 was as four is to three. Colin puts the average at fully three to two. 

 Goubaux and Barrier have proved by a number of careful trials, that 

 the lower the withers are, as compared to the croup, the greater is the 

 proportion of weight supported by the fore limbs ; and vice versd. As 

 the hind half of the trunk is, in all classes, heavier than the fore half, 

 it follows that the extra weight in front is mainly due to the fact of the 

 head and neck being in advance of the fore legs. The longer the 

 body, and the heavier the belly, the more will this distribution of weight 

 be equalised. 



Centre of Gravity. — The centre of gravity of a body is an im- 

 aginary point in that body, so placed that if the body be supported 

 immediately underneath the centre of gravity, it will be in equilibrium 

 (rest). Consequently, if a body be balanced at a point on its surface, 

 a vertical line drawn from that point will pass through the centre of 

 gravity ; and the intersection of two or more such lines will determine 

 the position of the centre of gravity. If the body be of uniform density, 

 the position of the centre of gravity will be the same as that of the centre 

 of the figure ; but if it be heavier at one side than at the other, the 

 centre of gravity will be nearer the former than the latter. For instance, 

 in ships, with the view of obtaining increased security from an upset. 



