106 



THE HORSE. 



whelming. It is connected with the most powerful 

 muscles of the body — muscles which are obliged to 

 propel the entire machine. The longer this bone is 

 the better. Its length assists in governing the stretch 

 of the hind-quarters. When it and the haunch-bone 

 are both short, the horse may probably possess suffi- 

 cient strength ; but he must undoubtedly be short in his 

 action. He will have to strike very often to make 

 amends for this defect. But the case is reversed when 

 both these bones are long. The horse can then afford 

 to strike slower. He will have a long and sweeping 

 stride, and he will gallop with gi-eater speed, and much 

 more ease. 



The muscles in this region should be both long and 

 large. The horse in whom they are weak is radically 

 defective. Short muscles, if they are strong enough, 

 may do for slow work ; but without length, they are of 

 no use for speed. Then- length can easily be ascer- 

 tamed by observing the distance which intervenes be- 

 tween the haunch-bone and the thigh-bone, as well as 

 the distance from this last point to their termination 

 above the hock. This is a correct measurement of 

 then- length ; theii' size can be judged of by the thick- 

 ness of the parts which they compose. 



When viewed from behind, the muscles which lie on 

 the thigh-bone should be very large and prominent, both 

 inside and outside. It is impossible for them to be too 

 strong. The horse that is very thin and flat here, and 



