42 THE HORSE. 



the withers. In his case speed is a thing of primary 

 consideration, and therefore he reqnii'es to run close 

 to the ground, which he could not do if his withers 

 were veiy much elevated. If he runs close to the 

 gi'ound, there will be little time lost in his stride ; and 

 this is surely of immense importance, when one mo- 

 ment may deteiinine the result of the race. Eclipse 

 was quite as high on the top of the rump as on the 

 shoulder, and so should every race-horse. An old tm-fite 

 (Sporting Magazine, vol. i., Xew Series, p. 120) says, 

 for speed he prefers "the whole foim lower before 

 than behind." Be this as it may, one thing is certain— 

 the withers should not be higher than the top of the 

 rump. A race-horse whose foim is higher before than 

 behind, will have a high and roundish sort of action, 

 which may please the inexperienced eye, but the good 

 judge will always consider it far inferior to the long, 

 low, sweeping, swimming stride of the low-shouldered 

 horse who runs close to the gi'ound. 



Some parties may probably think me astray when I 

 say, that not only the gig-horse, but the caniage-horse 

 also, requires a well-slanted shoulder. However, I 

 ground my opinion on the fact, that the fashionable 

 carriage now-a-days is a very different machine from 

 what it was in the last generation. At present it 

 is built as light as possible for fast work, whereas 

 formerly it was a fair load for four horses. Never- 

 theless, the carriage or gig-horse may do veiy well 



