454 



THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



ined. Let us recall that it is ordinarily accompanied by an inward 

 deviation of the knee and of the elbow, but that it may also be due 



to a simple change in the direc- 

 tion of the foot alone. How- 

 ever it may be, the foot is not 

 slow in becoming modified ; the 

 internal quarter, bearing more 

 pressure, has a tendency to im- 

 derlap the external and become 

 contracted. The horse is, be- 

 sides, liable to interfere with this 

 quarter. Finally, during flexion 

 of the knee, the metacarpus is 

 thrown outward much more than 

 in a normal state, which means 

 a loss of time prejudicial to the 

 speed, as well as the throwing 



FIG. 157. 



FIG. 158. 



outward of the foot, which de- 

 tracts from the beauty of the gait. 



Horse Closed in Front (Fig. 159). The closeness of the fore- 

 members, as well as their too great separation, may result from two 

 opposite causes : excess or deficiency in the width of the chest. This 

 condition is vulgarly called knock-kneed. 



The objections in the first case are less than in the second, for the 

 divergence of the members towards their superior extremity is often 

 due only to the development of the chest or to that of the pectoral 

 muscles. Nevertheless, the approximation of their inferior extremities 

 diminishes the stability of the equilibrium, on account of the narrow- 

 ing of the base of support in front ; it also exposes the animal to inter- 

 fering, cutting, and to the other accidents which may result therefrom. 



This vice of the axis is, however, much more grave when it depends 

 upon a narrow chest and a feeble volume of the muscles. Besides the 

 preceding faults, such a horse must also be regarded as being deficient 

 in wind and without endurance, which renders him altogether incapable 

 of performing the least laborious service. 



Ox-Knee (Fig. 160). The ox-knee, convex internally, is not 

 compatible (see page 232) with a regular distribution of the body- 

 weight upon the metacarpal bones. With the member on the ground, 

 the external concavity tends to become greater, which makes more 

 pressure upon the external side of the carpal bones and increases the 

 tension on the internal lateral ligament of the articulation. 



