THE CHEST. 33 



width of the counter, and by the fidness of the ribs 

 behind the foreleg and shoulder. A depression of the 

 ribs at the part where the leg is united to the shoulder, 

 has a material effect in lessening the breadth of the 

 floor of the chest. 



The counter should be broad and weighty in the 

 cart-horse ; but its breadth ought to decrease in propor- 

 tion as we wish an increase of speed. This, of coiu'se, 

 must be understood within certain limits, as the race- 

 horse, the swiftest of all, should not have an extremely 

 narrow counter. His should be narrow only in com- 

 parison with that of the cart-horse. If it were ex- 

 tremely narrow, the chest would be light and the shoulders 

 weak, and the forelegs would be so close together that 

 there would be every probability of an interference in 

 the region of the feet and pasterns. The counter of 

 the race-horse should not be on either extreme. It 

 ought to be broad enough to give substance to the 

 shoulders, and capacity to the chest, without adding too 

 much weight to the fore-quarter, or separating the legs so 

 far from each other as to give a round and lubberly action 

 to the horse in the trot or gallop. In all cases, the 

 counter must be weU supphed mth strong and promi- 

 nent muscles. 



The sternum, or breast-bone, which forms the floor of 

 the chest, requires to be long. It ought to di'op low both 

 between and behind the legs. There is nothing more to 

 be desired than a long and well let-do^vn sternum, as it 



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