The Locomotov Apparatus. 329 



means of the fascia of the arm and thigh ; both of these 

 are attached to the muscles and tendons of the part, 

 affording them considerable support of a non-muscular 

 nature ; particularly is this the case with the fascia of the 

 thigh. 



Centre of Gravity. — Whether the horse be at rest or in 

 motion, the position of his centre of gravity is an important 

 one for our consideration. The centre of gravity at rest is 

 fixed, but during motion it oscillates from side to side, 

 depending on the position of the body and the pace. 



At rest the centre of gravity must always fall within the 

 base formed by the four feet, or the body is no longer in 

 stable equilibrium. Owing to the fact that more weight is 

 carried on the fore than on the hind legs, the centre of 

 gravity lies nearer to the elbow than the stifle. If a vertical 

 line be dropped just behind the ensiform cartilage of the 

 sternum, and intersected by a horizontal one passing 

 through the lower part of the middle third of the body, the 

 point of intersection is the centre of gravity ; this is the 

 rule given by Colin. We may say, speaking roughly, that 

 the vertical line passes about six inches behind the elbow, 

 the horizontal just below the shoulder-joint ; the centre of 

 gravity is where these intersect. It is obvious that the 

 position of the centre of gravity will vary with different 

 horses, but not to such an extent as to seriously affect the 

 truth of the above statement. 



Distribution of the Weight of the Body. — The fore-legs 

 carry more weight than the hind, which is perhaps, the 

 reverse of what might be expected ; but if a horse be 

 carefully weighed, it is found that the fore-legs take 

 more than one-half the body weight. The position of 

 the head considerably affects the weight on the legs. 

 Thus, if the head be raised up when the fore-legs are 

 weighed, the latter will be found to be carrying over 

 20 lbs. less weight than if the head were dependent. 

 The practical application of this fact is obvious — keep a 

 stumbler well in hand. A horse's head weighs between 

 40 and 50 lbs. 



