DESCRIPTION or "FALCON." 33 



pastern is long, springy and oblique, so as to take the 

 jar off the delicate bones below, without dropping enough 

 to show any signs of weakness. There is no danger of 

 ring bones or navicular disease in that formation. The 

 feet are of a fair size, with good heels, and horn that will 

 never shell if the nail is placed properly. There is a great 

 deal of truth in the old adage, of " no foot, no horse : " 

 these are not only naturally good, but I must congratu- 

 late you on having kept them so by judicious care. 



This horse is very deep through the heart. When I 

 first saw him I should not have judged him to be over fif- 

 teen hands two inches at the outside. When you stand 

 beside him, you are satisfied that sixteen hands is, if any- 

 thing, below his measurement. The barrel swells out, 

 giving a good length of ribs, which are wide and have the 

 right curvature. The back and loin are remarkably strong. 

 The arch in the back is so high that it does not look as 

 well as if a little lower, but there is a mountain of strength 

 there when connected with the broad loin, braced with 

 fillets as thick as your arm. The hip is long with slope 

 enough. Were it more level, it would give him a jauntier 

 air, but he would not be as likely to trot so well. The 

 stifles are low, and placed the requisite distance apart to 

 play freely, without being interfered with by the abdomen. 

 The hock is large and so clean that you can trace the ar- 

 ticulation of the joint. The great width of the gaskin 

 arises from the bone, forming the point of the hock or 

 oscalcis, being so long that the tendon comes up a long 

 way before it is covered by the muscles. What was said 

 about the canon of the fore" leg will be appropriate to de- 

 scribe the hind, only the flatness is more apparent. The 

 angles, from the hip to the foot, are just what they ought 

 to be to work the propelling hind legs to the best advan- 

 tage. His muscularity is just what I fancy, long, lean and 

 dry ; they will come as near giving you an idea of perpe- 



