THE CHEST. 33 



for his " fine round barrel," and his " broad, full, fleshy bosom :" 

 the racer, for his " great depth of chest," without that breadth and 

 consequent seposition of the shoulders, which would diminish his 

 facility of progression. In both cases — as in the bull-dog and grey- 

 hound — there is ample girth of chest, and, therefore, space enough 

 for the play of the lungs and heart, though the circular admeasure- 

 ment is obtained in different ways ; the one animal being seldom 

 required to go out of a footpace, the other being intended to trot, 

 to gallop, to race. Observe how awkwardly and clumsily the 

 cart-horse gallops, or even trots; and with what agility the thorough- 

 bred glides along in his canter or speed ! Only exchange their chests, 

 however, and mark what would happen ! The result is sufficiently 

 shewn in what we see in cart-horses with deep and narrow chests, 

 and in circular-chested race-horses : the one is " all abroad" in his 

 gallop, and cannot go " any pace at all ;" the other has not the sub- 

 stance about his shoulders and neck a horse for heavy and labo- 

 rious draught ought to possess. 



Length of Chest,* in general, is not a desirable point in a 

 horse, because it is commonly combined with shortness of rib, and 

 consequent deficiency in the vertical diameter of the cavity, or else 

 with flat-sidedness and narrowness of the area : where, however, 

 we find the ribs of their requisite length and proper span, and where 

 the interval between the last rib and the hip-bone is but short — 

 which by horse people is called being " ribbed home," or " well ribbed 

 up" — then the length of chest is what all judges in horses will not 

 fail to admire. The space between the last rib and the hip or 

 haunch-bone forms the part denominated the flank. When this is 

 lengthy, and the flank in consequence loose or tucked up, the horse 

 is said to be loose or slack in his loins ; though, in point of fact, it 

 is the flank and not the loin, which is " loose" or " slack :" at the 

 same time be it observed, it is the circumstance of the loin being 

 commonly defective in such formations that has led to the phrase- 

 ology. Depth, and length, and breadth of chest, with other struc- 

 tures in accordance, will insure enduring speed, with wind and 

 bottom in its possessor. One of the most remarkable instances I 

 ever saw of this perfection of chest was in the famous old mare, 

 Fleurs-de-Lis, the property of George the Fourth : she had one of 

 the deepest chests and finest shoulders, perhaps, ever seen ; and 



