170 



COMPARATIVE SHAPE OF HORSES. 



in it, that he can continue it but for a very short time. 

 His usual fast pace is a kind of amble which has no period 

 of suspension. The muscles of his limbs, as compared 

 to the weight of his body, are very poorly developed. 

 Many "weedy" horses (p. 368) which have long legs, are 

 deficient in speed from causes similar to those that render 

 the camel slow. The law as to length of limb can be 

 amply verified, other things being equal, in the case of 

 the horse, by the hard logic of statistics. I accordingly 

 give the following table of measurements in inches, 

 taking Ormonde (Frontispiece) and St. Simon (Figs. 16 

 and 17) as examples of the fleet of foot, and the Shire 

 horse, Cheadle Jumbo, and the Shire mare. Chance (Fig. 

 274), as illustrations of strength. 



Ormonde. St. Simon, 



Height at withers (without shoes) 64^ 



Length of body 6i| 



Depth from withers to brisket . . ! 29 



Distance of " girth place " from 

 ground 



Length of head 



35i 

 24i 



63i 



594 

 27J 



36i 



24 



Cheadle 

 Jumbo. 



67 



76 

 35 i 



314 



29 



Chance. 



67 

 76 



34 



33 



28 



I took the measurements of Ormonde on the 20th 

 July, 1887, when he was a four-year-old ; and those of 

 St. Simon in September, 1884, when he was a three-year 

 old. The photographs of Ormonde and St. Simon are 

 particularly valuable, as these animals were probably the 

 two best race-horses that have ever lived, and as their 

 photographs were taken when they were in racing con- 

 dition. The outlines of Fig. 17 have been taken 

 from a photograph which was too much " fogged " 

 to bear reproduction. [The shadows, however, have 



