18 THE HORSE 



are attached. Successful modern thoroughbreds 

 are usually leggy ; that is to say, their height at 

 the withers is greater than theu' length from the 

 point of the shoulder to the buttock, and this 

 height has been proved to be usually gained by 

 length of leg. The cart horse, on the contrary, 

 has short legs, consequently his length is greater 

 than liis height. As it is not a galloping 

 machine that is wanted, but merely a well- 

 balanced harness horse, the full-grown animal 

 should be slightly longer than he is high at the 

 withers, as such conformation indicates a sufficiency 

 of strength for harness work. At the same time, 

 the greater length over height must be due to 

 shortness of the legs, and not to either abnormally 

 low withers or to a long, badly coupled body. The 

 shortness of the legs should be gained by shortness 

 of the bones below the knees and hocks, and not 

 by shortness of the foreanns and lower thighs or 

 gaskins, on which the muscles which move the 

 legs are to be found. The gaskins should be as 

 wide and long as possible, and covered with plenty 

 of muscle, and are important parts to look at m 

 buying a horse. The knees should be large, flat, 

 and bony; also the hocks. The latter must be 

 well let down (Plate II. Fig. 12), and when viewed 



