DEFINITIVE SYNTHESIS. 433 



EXAMPLES OF COMPENSATIONS — Continued. 

 Defects. Coeresponding Compensations. 



Pastern long Heels high, tendons well detached, good axes, fore-quar- 

 ters light, withers high, fetloclis wide. 



Pastern short Heels low, axes regular, withers high, fore-quarters light. 



Heels too low Pastern straight, horn good, frog large, sole concave. 



Body somewhat long Chest deep, flank short, body well supported, croup and 



shoulders long, oblique, muscular. 



Body rather short Membersshort.locomotory angles convenient, gaits easy. 



A little low in front Head light, neck long, straight, well attached; withers 



prominent, shoulder oblique, arm straight, articula- 

 tions wide, thick, tendons well detached, good axes, 

 hind-quarters powerful. 



Too low behind Fore- quarters light, croup, thigh, and leg powerful; 



hocks strong, loins strong, good posterior axes. 



Members too long Body light, chest developed ; tendons detached, muscu- 

 lar development good. 



Horse under himself in front Neck straight, well attached ; shoulder oblique, fore- 

 quarters powerful, and elevated in relation to the 

 hind-quarters ; articulations thick, wide, tendons well 

 detached. 



Horse knee-sprung Powerful muscles of the shoulder, the arm, the forearm; 



neck straight, withers prominent, body well supported. 



Horse under himself behind Fore-quarters light, rather low than high ; hind-quarters 



very muscular, loins powerful, hocks wide, thick, clean. 



Shortened gaits Energy, vigor, rather nervous temperament. 



We could, without difficulty, have extended the list of these com- 

 pensations. Nearly every defect may be ameliorated, either wholly or in 

 part, by a better or inverse disposition of another region. There are, 

 nevertheless, some which it is impossible to remedy, on account of their 

 influence upon the very essence of the motor apparatus or upon the 

 most essential qualities which it should possess. How can we make 

 good, indeed, a defect of absolute development of the respiratory 

 apparatus or the muscular system, a bad quality of the hoof, a want 

 of endurance, energy, and vigor, too great excitability, certain vices of 

 character, etc. ? Can a horse breathe sufficiently, move, react, fe^d, 

 obey, and work, if he is not provided with good lungs, good muscles, 

 large blood-vessels, an excitable nervous sy.stem, a spacious digestive 

 apparatus, a docile character, or a good temperament ? Evidently not. 

 There are fundamental conditions without which the animal is, so to 

 speak, useless ; and if they do not exist in him from the first, it is 

 useless to attempt to find a compensation ; we must pass on and reject 

 him as improper for service. 



By the side of these essential requirements there are secondary ones 

 whose absence does not make the motor absolutely inefficient, but 



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