234 THE TRUNK. 



ditions of endurance which have been discussed on pages 

 8 to II. 



It is instructive to note that the steeplechase horses, 

 Midshipmite (Fig. 346) and Specs (Fig. 342), which were 

 both " light" in the back ribs, were poor stayers, although 

 they were fast and good jumpers. 



The popularity of " show condition " among horse 

 exhibitors is chiefly due to the fact that obesity is the best 

 means for concealing the defect of short back ribs. 



From the foregoing considerations, we should regard 

 roundness of barrel behind the girths ; depth of body 

 (as compared to length of body) in the centre of the 

 back ; and being well ribbed up, as the great signs, in 

 conformation, of a horse having good breathing power. 

 As the middle false ribs are those which have the 

 greatest power of being drawn forwards and outwards 

 (p. 41), they, in comparison to the length of the body 

 should be as long, as well as convex, as possible. On 

 account of their lower ends being difficult to trace in 

 the living animal, we may conveniently judge of their 

 approximate lengths, by the depth of the body at the 

 centre of the back, and by the slope of the lower line 

 of the chest; making due allowance for the "condition" 

 of the animal. The shape of the body should of course 

 be judged by the body itself, and without reference to 

 the length or substance of the legs. The fact, as often 

 occurs, of the body being too heavy for the legs, in no 

 way affects the proportion which its length, depth and 

 thickness bear to each other. 



The popular term, "slack in the loins," which has been 

 used, is often applied to the objectionable condition of 

 the last rib being short and at a considerable distance 

 from the point of the hip. This expression is not alto- 

 gether inappropriate, because the ribs are united by 

 joints to the vertebrae, and consequently their length, as 

 a rule, is proportionate to the size of these vertebrae, 

 which is proportionate to the strength of the muscles 



