POINTS FROM WHICH THE PROPORTIONS ARE STUDIED. 387 



steeple-chasers. It should not be forgotten, however, that in such cases 

 the overloading of the anterior members is compensated by the relative 

 lightness of the fore-quarters and the power and great length of the 

 hind-quarters. Here, as with the hare, according to M. Richard's * 

 comparison, the posterior members are carried far under the trunk, 

 their footprints are much beyond those of the anterior, the hind-quarters 

 are strongly built, the croup and loins are vigorous and well supported, 

 the dorsal spinous apophyses are long, and the shoulder very oblique. 

 There is then truly a compensation. 



One point which should be insisted upon in passing is, that we 

 never see subjects three heads in height. The most exceptional in this 

 respect only reach two heads and three-quarters, whilst the happy 

 medium reaches but two and a half heads, according to Botirgelat's 

 judicious remark. 2 Those which very much exceed this figure, as 

 well as those which do not attain it, should be considered dispro- 

 portionately built ; these last are more seldom seen. Let us cite an 

 example of this kind, occurring in our observations, which is quite 

 remarkable, and in which the height at the withers was only two 

 heads and one-third. 



The height is an organic sum composed of two elements, the body 

 and the members, between which harmony does not always exist. Then 

 there results one of the defects of construction most prejudicial to a 

 good functional activity of the living machine. We will soon have 

 occasion to return to this. 



Length. The length of the body is considered from the point 

 of the shoulder to that of the buttock, the animal being in the normal 

 position. Bourgelat rightly assigned to it two heads and a half in 

 well-formed horses. Our best types nowadays are still constructed 

 according to these incontestable measurements. 



Perhaps this dimension is subject to variation more than, the pre- 

 ceding; we insist upon this, however, that its variations remain con- 

 stantly below three heads, even in subjects reputed to be long by the 

 greater number of. horsemen and artists, English horses, for example, 

 which are usually shorter than others. 



M. Duhousset 3 says that nothing is easier than to be mistaken by 

 a superficial observation. To prove this, we place before the eyes of 

 the reader a drawing of the two horses in Fig. 141. No. 1 is taken 

 from a photograph having exactly two heads and a half in the two 



1 A. Richard, fetude du cheval, etc., p. 149. 

 Cl. Bourgelat, loc cit., p. 203. 

 8 E. Duhousset, Le Cheval, p. 69. 



