806 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



As Hartmann affirms, 1 " These markings are transmitted by heredity, 

 and always become larger in the descendants, so much so that finally 

 pied horses will be produced." 



The same author establishes a connection, the accuracy of which 

 is far from being demonstrated, between the disagreeable odor which 

 emanates at times from certain horses and the color of their coat. 

 According to him, in fact, " the perspiration of rubican, bay, and sorrel 

 subjects, like that of some florid and blond persons, has an extremely 

 strong and disagreeable odor." Although we have had two opportu- 

 nities of verifying this fact, one upon a light sorrel and the other upon 

 a dark gray, we see in these exceptions only, and, indeed, very rare 

 coincidences, which it would be absolutely erroneous to establish as a 

 rule. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE HEIGHT. 



Definition ; Importance. The height of the horse is the dis- 

 tance from the summit of the withers to the ground. It varies in very 

 large proportion according to the race and the subject. The extreme 

 measurements which we have obtained are the following : 



Small Spanish horse 0.98 m. 



Heavy-draught Flemish horse . . 1.83 m. 



Nevertheless, we may meet subjects which are smaller, and likewise 

 others which are much larger. The celebrated American horse-trainer, 

 Carter, publicly exhibited in London, it is said, 2 a very remarkable 

 giant of the equine species. Born at Northampton, six years of age, 

 and of a heavy-draught type, this gigantic animal was six feet nine 

 inches in height (English measure), or 2.057 metres, and weighed 2500 

 pounds, or 1133 kilogrammes and 537 grammes. His proportions 

 were regular, and he was active on his feet. To make a more striking 

 contrast, a Scotch pony was placed alongside of him, which could pass 

 under him without touching his abdomen. 



The reader will see, d propos of the services, the importance of the 

 height when it is a question of determining the category in which the 

 horse should be classed. Whence the necessity of approximating as 

 closely as possible to it, inasmuch as it constitutes, in relation to a 



1 Hartmann, Trait6 des haras, p. 75. 



2 Recueil de mSdecine v6t6rinaire, ann6e 1847, p. 790. 



