A Hunter and Wa7^ Horse. 1 89 



capable of long-continued exertion, and occasionally- 

 great speed, as the Arabian horse, who possesses this 

 form of chest in the highest perfection. This most 

 important point in the form of a horse is further com- 

 mented upon by the same author : ' An elevated wither 

 or oblique shoulder, or powerful quarter, are great ad- 

 vantages ; but that which is most of all connected 

 with the general health of the animal, and with com- 

 bined fleetness or bottom, is a deep and broad and 

 swelling chest.' 



If artificial breeds of horses are required for hunting 

 and the army in this country, why refuse to use the 

 Arabian as a sire, seeing that this essential conformation 

 is one of his attributes, and only possessed by other 

 breeds formerly improved by him in a modified degree .'' 

 Of all horses in the world the Arabian possesses the 

 deepest chest ; but this is often overlooked or unob- 

 served, for it is not so apparent at a casual glance, 

 owing to the swelling barrel and long back ribs, which 

 of course take off from the appearance of depth. 

 Now, in a flat-sided horse, what depth there may be 

 is at once seen, and appears often exaggerated, from 

 the lightness of the hinder ribs. Deterioration is said 

 to have taken place, and short races are in vogue. In 

 conformation the modern horse appears deep enough 

 in chest, but flat-sided. From the portraits of old 

 racers (mostly badly executed) we see less apparent 

 depth at the girth, but a more swelling barrel and 

 deeper back ribs, the line of belly being far straighten 

 These horses ran over long courses ; it was the fashion 



