108 THE HORSE. 



back edge of the hip must be observed. The greater 

 it is, the more muscular substance \^-ill the space con- 

 tain. Some of the muscles at the back edge of the 

 hip are of gTeat importance. They ought to be so well 

 defined, so prominent, and distinct, that their detection 

 on the livmg animal will present no difficulty. In the 

 high-bred horse they are generally extremely well de- 

 fined. They ought to be as long as possible ; the far- 

 ther they reach doTVTi towards the hock, the better. I 

 never like to see them turning in suddenly to the bone 

 a little below the stifle-joint. It adds greatly to the 

 beauty, as well as to the power, of the hind-quarter, to 

 have these muscles very long and prominent from their 

 origin, at the root of the tail and about the hip-joint, 

 to their termination in the bone above the hock. Length 

 in all the muscles of the hind-quarter is a particularly 

 gratifying thing in the eye of every judge of the horse. 

 To have sufficient speed and propelling power, there 

 must be length, substance, and favourable leverage. 



THE TIBIA, 



or lower bone of the thigh, reaches from the stifle-joint 

 to the hock. For speed, it requires to be long ; the hock 

 can hardly be too close to the gi-ound. The stifle-joint, 

 con-esponding to the knee in the human subject, is 

 formed by the connexion of the tibia with the upper 

 thigh-bone. It is a very important joint, and requu-es 



