THE BACK. 91 



tiim out a valuable animal when he aftei-wards conies 

 to be entered for the different handicaps, where penal- 

 ties, in the form of additional weights, are placed upon 

 winning horses. His compactness may here carry him 

 through with flying colom's, and be the means of rais- 

 ing his character to the highest pitch of celebrity; 

 whereas, the very long-backed Leger winner may be 

 a flyer on the day, and never afterwards do any good. 

 He may be first-rate with 8st. 71b. on his back ; but 

 12st. will probably bring him to a stand still. 



The back is composed of a number of short bones 

 united together by an elastic substance, for the pm^pose 

 of giving elasticity and ease to the motions of the ani- 

 mal under the rider. It therefore resembles a spring, 

 which will be easily bent, or otherwise, according to 

 its length. Every inch added to the length of the 

 spring, takes away from its power of carrying a weight 

 attached to its centre. So is it with the back of the 

 race-horse. When going at full speed, he can take in 

 twenty-one feet at each stride ; and, of course, when 

 he is extended in this way, a trifling difference of 

 weight on the centre of his back will make an enor- 

 mous difference in the amount of exertion required to 

 draw himself up speedily again for another stroke. 

 Hence, we can easily account for the well-known fact, 

 that two pounds extra added to one of them will inva- 

 riably determine the result of the race, where the horses 

 engaged are exactly matched at equal weights. In 



