THE RACE HORSE. 13 



tects all those numerous organs so important to 

 life, I shall first make my observations on the 

 chest. To use a common phrase, and somewhat 

 an expressive one, a horse in this part should be 

 what is called " well over the heart," that is, he 

 should be deep in his girth, round or well arched 

 in his ribs. I mean by this, that a rider on the 

 back of a race horse (as they are generally better 

 about the chest than horses in common use) should 

 feel he has some breadth or substance between 

 his legs; and there should be a good swell of 

 muscle before his knees, or the centre of the flaps 

 of the saddle. The chest, thus spaciously formed, 

 gives room for respiration, so that, in training, 

 the horse's wind can be brought to the greatest 

 perfection, which enables him to run on in long 

 lengths. 



The next part to be treated of is the ab- 

 domen, or belly, or what is usually called the 

 carcass. — It may, perhaps, appear a little strange, 

 but I have a great aversion to what is commonly 

 called a good carcassed horse, nor am I particu- 

 larly partial to a large sheathed one. I like both 

 these parts to be in the medium, as I do, also, that 

 of his being well ribbed up. It is true, that a 

 horse's being well ribbed up denotes strength, and 



