40 STANDARD OF MEASUREMENTS FOR HORSES 



Round girth, 9 feet to 9 feet 8 inches. (Large 

 horses often measure less, but they should measure 

 9 feet 4 inches to 9 feet 6 inches, and with such forma- 

 tion they will not show too much daylight.) 



From hip-bone to outside point of hock, from 40 to 

 45 inches. (Larger horses should measure from 45 to 

 50 inches, but I have seen some little 'giants' which 

 measured more than any tall weight-carrier I ever 

 saw. ) 



N.B. — This last measurement is a very important 

 one. 



' Under the knee,' from 8 to 9^- inches. 



Width between the jaws at the jowl, from 2\ to 3 

 inches. The width of the jowl is also an important 

 matter. If it is too narrow it is apt to be a source of 

 trouble to young horses during strangles, etc., and a 

 horse so formed may choke, or develop wind-sucking, 

 crib-biting, or whistling. The measurement I give 

 affords ample space for breathing and swallowing. 



The shape of the forehead is also another point 

 which has to be noted, for when the space between 

 the eyes is too little the horse is generally unreliable 

 or a 'fool' The eyes should be wide apart, the 

 forehead full and prominent, and the head generally 

 well shaped, but not too small. 1 have owned some 

 very fiddle-headed horses, which were the best per- 

 formers I ever saw. 



The colts which I had by Marquis had large but 

 sensible heads, with well-formed, roomy jowls ; the one 

 which sold for nearly ^800 being rejected by many 

 supposed judges, the latter not being able to dis- 

 criminate between a malformed fiddle-head and such 

 as I have described, which were not only handsome, 



