THE FORE-QUAETEK. 429 



siderable angle with the ground ; but still in both cases in should 

 be a long line, and the longer it is the more muscular substance 

 is attached to it, and the greater leverage will the muscles have. 

 All these points are still further explained in the Anatomy of 

 the Horse, which see, for the details of those parts. 



The fore- quarter, consisting of the shoulder, upper and 

 lower arm and leg and foot, should be well set on to the chest ; 

 and the shoulder-blade should lie obliquely on the side of that 

 part, with a full development of muscle to move it, and thrust 

 it well forward in the gallop. Obliquity is of the greatest im- 

 portance, acting as a sj)ring in taking oif the shock of the gallop 

 or leap, and also giving a longer attachment to the muscles, and 

 in addition enabling them to act with more leverage upon the 

 arm and leg. It will be seen, by a reference to the skeleton, 

 that the shoulder-blade does not reach the top of the withers, 

 and that those bones forming that part have nothing to do with 

 the shoulder itself; hence many high-withered horses have bad 

 and weak shoulders, and some very upright ones ; whilst, on 

 the other hand, many low- withered horses have very oblique 

 and powerful shoulders, and such as to give great facility and 

 pliability to the fore extremity. Tlie shoulder should be very 

 muscular, without being over-done or loaded, and so formed as 

 to play freely in tlie action of the horse. The point of the 

 shoulder which is the joint corresponding to the human shoulder, 

 should be free from raggedness, but not too flat ; a certain de- 

 gree of development of the bony parts is desirable, but more 

 than this leads to defect, and impedes the action of this im- 

 portant part. The upper arm, between this joint and the elbow, 

 should be long, and well clothed with muscles ; the elbow set 

 on quite straight, and not tied in to the chest ; the lower arm 

 muscular and long ; knees broad and strong, with the bony pro- 

 jection behind well developed ; legs flat, and showing a suspen- 

 sory ligament large and free ; pasterns long enough, without 

 being weak ; and the feet sound, and neither too large nor too 

 small, and unattended with any degree of contraction, which is 

 the bane of the thoroughbred horse. 



The hind-quarter is the chief agent in propulsion, and is 

 therefoi-e of the utmost consequence in attaining high speed. It 

 is often asserted that the oblique shoulder is the grand requisite 



