THE FORE LEG. 13 



wards — the space between it and the knee rather 

 long", and well supplied with muscles — the knee 

 should be broad from before backwards, and 

 straight : when it is bent forward, the horse is said 

 to be " bent before," and it is, in general, a 

 symptom that he has endured some hard work, 

 and his sure-footedness cannot be depended upon. 

 When the knee is bent backwards, it is called a 

 " calf knee," and though it is an ugly fault, I am 

 not aware that it is any thing more, although it 

 is possible there may be a little loss of power in 

 the muscles that bend it. Below the knee the 

 leg should be fine, and flat in back and front, 

 and broad from before backwards. The back 

 tendons should stand equally well out from the 

 knee to the fetlock. 



The pasterns in the very heavy draught horse, 

 are, in general, short and nearly upright : and it 

 is necessary that they should be so, in order to 

 uphold his huge frame; but in the racer, they 

 are long and slanting, in order that, by giving 

 way at every step of the animal, the shock ac- 

 companying rapid motion may be destroyed. 

 The purchaser must, therefore, look for a horse, 

 whose pasterns have the proper degree of obli- 

 quity for the purpose the horse is to be used for. 



