FORMATION. 19 



I am, however, of opinion that it is a sure sign of 

 cramped action, and consequently weakness. I never 

 saw one of this formation that did not stretch out his 

 neck and go blundering along over-reaching, most fre- 

 quently tumbling on his knees and head, and not always 

 ending there, without apparent cause. Such horses, how- 

 ever, stand, as the dealers say, ( all of a 'eap,' which 

 most truly represents the badness of such formation. 



I do not at all dislike a rather hollow-backed horse ; 

 they are nice to sit on, and many racehorses have 

 proved that they can run well with this formation, of 

 which, perhaps, Glencoe was the most remarkable ex- 

 ample. 



The back in a racehorse should be long, broad, and 

 rather straight ; but if slightly hollow it should not be 

 objected to. 



LOINS. 



The loins in a racehorse should be very broad and 

 well rounded, or curved slightly. Most of the best 

 horses have been thus formed, and, perhaps, this point 

 being thus exaggerated enabled Saunterer to climb 

 the hill for the Cambridgeshire so successfully. 



The bones of the loins should be broad for manifest 

 reasons ; for, in proportion as is the length of the spin- 

 ous processes, so is the extent exposed for the insertion 

 of the muscles and tendons. 



HIND QUARTERS. 



The hind quarters are, indeed, worthy of a great 



deal of study, both as to the structure and action of 



o 2 



