1 86 



COMPARATIVE SHAPE OF HORSES. 



and cart-horse (p. 170), the comparison does not hold good 

 with regard to the height, which is naturally influenced by 

 the length of the fore legs. In calculating the proportion 

 between the length of head and length of body, in the case 

 of Cheadle Jumbo and Chance (p. 170), we must bear in 

 mind that these animals were in obese show condition at 

 the time the measurements were taken. 



Comparative Weight of Body. — The body of all 

 saddle horses should be as light as is compatible with the 

 due performance of their work ; for any extra weight 

 will be carried at the expense of the soundness of their 

 legs. It is different with the harness horse, which has, 

 comparatively, no weight on his back. The heavy cart- 

 horse requires a deep, massive body for the attachment 

 of his powerful muscles, and, also, to give him the neces- 

 sary weight to throw into the collar. This subject has 

 been discussed on pages 76 and 77. 



Comparative Length of the Bones of the Limbs. 



— If we " pick up " in succession the fore feet of a number 

 of differently shaped horses, and bend the limbs at the 

 knees as far as they will " go," we shall find that in 

 almost all cases, the heel will touch the elbow (Fig. 285) 

 at about the same place. 



This statement is supported by the following measure- 

 ments which Professor Ewart took of the bones of the 

 fore legs of Hermit, Echpse, and a Shetland pony. 



The above measurements are in centimetres, each of 

 which is equal to .3937 inch. 



