THE BEST FOBM FOE A TEOTTEE. 389 



am inclined to think that a slight declivity is better, by 

 lengthening the limb this much, and thereby giving a 

 greater reach in the stride. Too much obliquity is a 

 deformity that loses this advantage, by the femur forming 

 too obtuse an angle with the ileum, and, consequently, a 

 waste of the force applied. The length of the femur, or 

 the bone that reaches from the upper joint to the stifle, is 

 also of importance, not only giving better attachment for 

 the muscles, but placing the stifle where it will not be 

 impeded in its motions by the abdomen. The next bone 

 the tibia extending from the stifle to the hock, forms 

 just the right angle in the Falcon to please me. It is 

 oblique enough to place the hock at the proper position 

 with the body. When he stands in a natural manner, a 

 line dropped from the point of the buttock will fall a trifle 

 in front of the point of the hock. This increases his stride, 

 without diminishing the force that the muscles exert. 



His hock is superb, being both wide and deep. This 

 joint has probably as much to do with fast motion as any 

 other in the frame. From its being the seat of lameness, 

 in nine cases in ten, of the hind extremities, we will 

 rightly infer that any weakness in its construction is soon 

 manifest. By being large, the tendons form strong attach- 

 ments, guarding against strains, and by the posterior bony 

 process the os colcos being long, the tendon, which we 

 call the hamstring, has the advantage of working on a 

 longer lever, doing the business easier, and propelling it 

 further in advance than it could, if this were shortened. 

 The length of this bone also gives the wide gaskin, uni- 

 versally recognized as a mark of speed. Looking at the 

 cannon bone from behind, you would think it was too 

 long; but as you step into a position to take a side view, 

 you find it to be very short, and the term " well let down 

 in the hocks " can be applied to Falcon with truth. Long 

 from the point of the hock to the pastern, measuring 



17* 



