HIS CONFORMATION. 79 



the jaws are wide and the neck of the proper 

 conformation will be the case, and add very 

 materially to the good mouth of the horse. 

 The withers must neither be too fine, thick, or 

 low, whilst a fine wither well clothed with 

 muscle, and yet not loaded, is perfection. The 

 mane should be fine, silky, and not too abun- 

 dant. The shoulder-blade must be loner and 

 oblique, not straight, neither must it be coarse, 

 but blend gradually into the withers and back ; 

 a coarse thick shoulder should always be 

 avoided, as also a very fine one, leaving the 

 withers to stand up by themselves like a plouo-h- 

 share, for an animal with such shoulders will 

 soon tire, owing to insufficient muscular develop- 

 ment of the parts. The long oblique shoulder 

 gives plenty of space before the rider, the 

 saddle sits well provided the girth is also deep 

 and the action is pleasant, but if the shoulder 

 be straight or short, or a combination of both, 

 the saddle will be too forward, and when the 

 horse stumbles, as he is almost sure to do from 

 defective action due to this malconformation, 



