344 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



becomes visible, the grace, calmness, ease, which before pleased, will 

 disappear. A round croup, flattened haunches, a sway back, a " fat," 

 thick withers, an arched neck, slim canons, small feet, and a slender 

 head will give more pleasure to the majority of inexperienced eyes 

 than long, projecting lines, even a little roughly so, well-marked 

 muscles, strong members, a spacious chest, broad articulations, large 

 nostrils, etc. 



All eyes do not see in the same way, nor even appreciate forci- 

 bly what is simply agreeable. With greater reason the horsemen are 

 rare who are capable of appreciating the beauty of which Bourgelat 

 speaks ; not the arbitrary, which varies with individuals and their artistic 

 temperament, but the useful, which should be understood as synony- 

 mous with fitness, and which consists essentially in the adaptation of 

 the organs to their function ; that which results from the harmonious 

 proportions of the parts and communicates to the ivhole a combination 

 of qualities which renders it good, and not that which makes the same 

 agreeable only to the senses. This beauty, to be appreciated, demands 

 a certain intuition, much culture, study, acute observation, and judg- 

 ment ; we will refer to this at the end of this work. 



CHAPTER II. 



HISTORICAL. 



Now that we know what difficulties are comprised in the study of 

 proportions, it is not surprising that all horsemen have endeavored to 

 establish the basis of these proportions the more safely to lead their pupils 

 to a knowledge of the horse. But, among the many authors, those 

 are few in number who have really produced upon this subject any- 

 thing original. Many criticisms not founded upon facts, any amount 

 of commentaries, and often much injustice are, unfortunately, the argu- 

 ments of those who have entered the arena after the masters whose 

 researches they have had neither the patience nor the courage to investi- 

 gate carefully. 



Abou-Bekr-Ibn-Bedr. — A veterinarian of distinction, Abou-Bekr, son 

 of Bedr, has given in his book, " Le Naceri," all the questions referring to the 

 science and the treatment of the Arabian horse. We find in this important 



