120 



MODERN HORSE MANAGEMENT 



[chap. 



firm, distinct and hard. They must stand out 

 distinctly from the bone, so that the cannon, 

 viewed from the side, has the appearance of 

 being flat from front to rear. This is commonly 

 and erroneously called " flat boned." (P. 66a, 676, 

 97f, 98, 105c.) P. 74e shows a leg of bad con- 

 formation. The cannon, viewed from the side, 

 must not appear narrow below the knee, called 

 " tied in," but be nearly as thick as the knee 

 itself. P. 97^ shows a leg a little "tied" and 

 with tendons too close to the bone. 



The pastern should slope at about an angle of 

 45° with the ground and be fairly long ; should 

 be strong. (P. 166, 636, 1136. Compare with 

 P. 19<z, 536, 57a.) 



The fetlock joint should be strong and fairly 

 large. (P. 686.) 



The sesamoid bones at the back of the fetlock 

 should be large. (P. 686.) 



480. The Foot.— The wall of the forefoot in 

 front should slope at an angle of 45° with the 

 ground. (P. 636, 666. Compare with P. 57a, 

 QOd.) A good foot is of the greatest importance. 

 It should be sound, fairly large, and of a firm, 

 dense, waxy texture. It should appear healthy. 

 (P. 1386.) Both feet should be similar, i.e. each 

 pair. 



The frog should touch the. ground at each 

 step and be elastic, and should show wear. 



The sole should be concave and feel firm. 



The bars must not have been pared away by 

 the blacksmith. 



481. The back should be short, well muscled, 

 and fairly straight. The length of the body 

 underneath the belly should be comparatively 

 long. (P. 676, 68a, 6. Compare with P. 536, 56c, 

 98.) These points give strength and freedom in 

 action. If the horse is short underneath, his speed 

 will be limited, and he will be liable to over- 

 reach. Trotting racehorses have longer backs 

 than most horse?. (P. 41a.) Old horses have 

 more or less hollow backs, due to the wasting 

 away of the muscles of the back. Hollow backs 

 are weak. 



Roach backs are strong, though ugly, and if 

 shoulders and quarters are good the horse will 

 be useful especially for harness work. A roach 

 back is uncomfortable for saddle work, whilst a 

 hollow back is comfortable. P. 47, 48 show 

 types of harness-horse backs. 



The Barrel — Ribs. — The ribs should be well 

 rounded. A round-barrelled horse will always 

 outlast a flat-ribbed horse when put to the test, 

 and is far more easily kept in good shape at 

 other times. 



The ribs should be broad and close together, 

 and continue back close to the pelvis — the point 

 of the hip. (P. 68a, 105a. Compare with 536, 

 56c, 83a.) 



A horse that is " slack " in the ribs has the 

 last rib approximately more than a hand's 

 breadth from the point of the hip. One that is 



" light " in the ribs has the last rib too short and 

 too flat. Horses that are very slack in the ribs 

 will not stand long-continued work. 



A horse that is poor in condition must not be 

 confounded with one that is slack or light in the 

 ribs. 



The loins should be broad and well muscled 

 up and short (the latter being the opposite to 

 slackness in the ribs). The muscles of the loins 

 should appear smooth and round. (P. 346 

 — leader.) 



482. The croup, or haunch, should be long 

 and muscular, and should only slope a little 

 towards the tail, the tail being set on high. 

 (P. 676. Compare with P. 516 for drooping 

 croup, and P. 516, 52a for tail set on too low.) 



Strength in propulsion (as in draught, jump- 

 ing or racing) depends almost entirely on length 

 and an ample muscle supply in the croup (the 

 gluteal muscles). A drooping croup, if combined 

 with powerful muscles of the hindquarters, gives 

 great power in jumping for hunters and steeple- 

 chasers. (P. 686.) 



The pelvis should be broad ; but in a saddle 

 horse, if too broad, it is liable to produce a roll- 

 ing action behind. It should be deep, and at an 

 obliquity of 30° to 35° with the ground to give 

 length to the croup. (P. 676. Compare with 

 P. 113a.) 



483. The Tail.— The dock should be naturally 

 (when unmutilated) fairly short. (P. 28.) It 

 should be thick, and, therefore, well muscled. 

 The hair should be fine and not curly. (P. 16.) 



The sheath should be large and well 

 developed. (P. 16a.) 



484. The Hindlegs. — There must be great 

 length from the pelvis to the hocks for power 

 and speed ; this is known as being " let down " 

 in the quarters. (P. 636, 676. Compare with 

 P. 26a, 29a, bid.) A horse cannot be let down 

 too far, except, as stated in Sec. 475, in the case 

 of weak forequarters. 



A leg that is bent too far forward is pre- 

 disposed to curb (P. 19c, 266, 74c), and one that 

 is too straight is predisposed to bog spavin and 

 thoroughpin. (P. 56c, 119/i.) 



A plumb line dropped from the point of the 

 buttock should pass down the back of the cannon, 

 and, viewed from behind, it should pass down 

 the centre of the entire leg. (P. 646, 686. Com- 

 pare with P. 266, 97a, d.) A plumb line dropped 

 from the centre of the hip joint should pass 

 across, halfway down the tibia, and through the 

 centre of the foot. (P. 676, 100.) 



The thigh bone (femur) should be long, 

 strong, and lie at about an angle of 80° with the 

 ground. (P. 676.) 



The tibia should be long and let well down 

 into the hock. (P. 636.) 



The muscles of the thigh and tibia should be 

 well developed and continue down close to the 

 hock. The adductor and internal femoral 



