390 HOUSE POETKAITUKE. 



down the tendon, and short from the joint, when follow- 

 ing the metatarsal bone, is the tru*e configuration; and I 

 never saw a horse that excelled him in this particular. 

 The pasterns I like to be of good length, in order that 

 there may be elasticity enough to give freedom to the 

 joints in the foot, adding a little to the ground covered 

 by the hind legs; and as every inch gained in the stride is 

 an object to be looked after, this form of the pastern is 

 the proper one. The quality of the muscular covering to 

 the bones we cannot arrive at, though I am inclined to 

 think there is not the difference in them in horses of 

 greater or less speed, as in the manner in which they act, 

 which is determined by the position of the bones. Thus 

 their greater force of action, which enables an animal to 

 stride from two to five feet further with the same outlay 

 of power, is due to their being placed in a position where 

 their contractions and expansions exert a greater force. 

 These wiry, tendinous masses that are so apparent in the 

 Falcon, may exist in an inferior animal ; but, owing to 

 their being placed in a wrong position, or encumbered by 

 matter that is a hindance to their motion, they cannot act 

 with the same effect. 



The broad, arched loin is a mark of strength; and while 

 a horse that is slack there may have a great deal of speed, 

 it is seldom coupled with endurance. There is consider- 

 able motion at this point, owing to the flexibility of the 

 backbone; and I always like to see this flexibility apparent. 

 I do not mean the scringing motion a horse makes, on 

 pinching him, indicating soreness, but a kind of swaying 

 movement in the walk, which most race horses display/. 

 As you stand squarely behind the Falcon, the muscles 

 are developed in harmony with each other. Those 

 on the upper thigh and gaskin are proportioned right, 

 while the inner ones have the same equilibrium. They 

 are long, not covering the tendons, as it were, but merged 



