THE THIGH. 105 



to pop off his hiud-feet like a ball ; and when gallop- 

 ing, he will be so collected in his stride, that his back 

 will never get depressed with the weight of his rider. 

 " It is worthy of remark," says Eiddlesworth, at the 

 eighth page of Tlie British and Foreign Booh of 

 Sports, for 1843, "that high hind-quarters, and tail 

 set on low, are generally characteristics of good quali- 

 ties in a horse." Such is the formation of all oiu" best 

 racing and jumping horses. It is seen in perfection in 

 that model of a race-horse, the Flying Dutchman. To 

 prevent misapprehension, however, I may again obseiwe, 

 that it is the side-bone of the hciunch which requii'es to 

 be drooped as it approaches the point of the hip. The 

 position of the vertebrae which join the tail is not nearly 

 of the same practical importance, although it may 

 affect the beauty of the outline. Many horses have 

 their haunch-bones well drooped, whilst their tails are 

 set-on high up, and nearly level with the top of the 

 rump. 



THE THIGH 



bone extends from the termination of the haunch- 

 bone, below the tail, or, more coiTectly speaking, from 

 the hip joint, to the lower edge of the flank, where its 

 end assists in foiming the stifle joint. This bone is 

 altogether imbedded in a dense mass of muscular sub- 

 stance. It does not attract much attention from the 

 cursory observer ; nevertheless, its importance is over- 



