HORSE. 



" The Proper Conformation of the 

 Horse. — A very general account only 

 can be given of this, for it varies es- 

 sentially with the breed and destina- 

 tion of the animal. There are some 

 points, however, which are valuable 

 in liorses of every description. The 

 head should not be disproportionally 

 large, and should be well set on, i. e., 

 the lower jaw-bones should be suffi- 

 ciently far apart to enable the head to 

 form that angle with the neck which 

 gives free motion and a graceful car- 

 riage to it, and prevents its bearing 

 too heavy on the hand. The eye 

 should be large and a little promi- 

 nent, and the eyelid fine and thin. 

 The ear should be small and erect, 

 and quick in motion. The lop-ear 

 indicates dulness or stubbornness ; 

 and when it is habitually laid too far 

 back upon the neck, there is too fre- 

 quently a disposition to mischief 

 The nostril in every breed should be 

 somewhat expanded : it can hardly 

 be too much so in the racer, the 

 hunter, the roadster, and the coach- 

 horse, for this animal breathes only 

 through the nostril, and would be 

 dangerously distressed when much 

 speed is required of him, if the nos- 

 tril could not dilate to admit and to 

 return the air. The neck should be 

 long rather than short. It then ena- 

 bles the animal to graze with more 

 ease, and to throw his weight more 

 forward, whether he is in harness or 

 galloping at the top of his speed. It 

 should be muscular at its base, and 

 gradually become fine as it approach- 

 es the head. The withers should be 

 somewhat high in every horse, ex- 

 cept, perhaps, that of heavy draught, 

 and it does not harm him, for there 

 is larger surface for the attachment 

 of the muscles of the back, and they 

 act at greater mechanical advantage. 

 A slanting direction of the shoulder 

 gives, also, much mechanical advan- 

 tage, as well as an easy and pleasant 

 action, and a greater degree of safe- 

 ty. It must not, however, exist in 

 any considerable degree in the horse 

 of draught, and particularly of heavy 

 draught. The chest must be capa- 

 cious, for it contains the heart and 

 388 



the lungs, the organs on which the 

 speed and endurance of the horse de- 

 pend. Capacity of chest is indispen- 

 sable in every horse, but the form of 

 the chest admits of variation. In the 

 wagon-horse the circular chest may 

 be admitted, because he seldom goes 

 at any great speed, and there is com- 

 paratively little variation in the quan- 

 tity of air required ; but in other 

 horses the variation is often fearful. 

 The quantity of air expended in a 

 gallop is many times that required in 

 hard work. Here we must have 

 depth of chest, not only as giving 

 more room for the insertion of the 

 muscles on the action of which the 

 expansion of the chest depends, but 

 a conformation of the chest which 

 admits of that expansion. That 

 which is somewhat straight may be 

 easily bent into a circle when greater 

 capacity is required ; that which is 

 already circular admits of no expan- 

 sion. A few words more are all that 

 our limits permit us to add, and they 

 contain almost all that is necessary 

 to be added on the conformation of 

 the horse. ' The loins should be 

 broad, the quarters long, the thighs 

 muscular, and the hocks well bent 

 and well under the horse.' " 



Varieties of the Horse. — All the va- 

 rieties are attributed by naturalists 

 to one common origin, either of Tar- 

 tary or Arabia, the diminutive size of 

 the Shetland, Iceland, and other po- 

 nies being attributed to climate and 

 provender. 



As our breeds are derived from 

 Europe, it being asserted that the 

 wild Mexican and Pampas horses are 

 the offspring of those introduced by 

 the Spaniards and early settlers, it 

 will be well to make some remarks 

 on the original stock. 



William the Conqueror introduced 

 Spanish horses (of Arabian stock) into 

 England. The thorough Arabian was 

 introduced in 1121. 



The Arabian horse is of small size, 

 usually of a dark or black colour, fine 

 eye, neat limbs, and amiable disposi- 

 tion ; his form is the model for en- 

 durance and speed. Several Arabi- 

 ans have been introduced into the 



