THE SPINE. 9 



gives, as an aggregate, to the entire spine a very considerable ex- 

 tent of flexibility. There is, perhaps, no occasion on Avhich this 

 flexibility of the spine is better seen than at the time a horse is 

 twisting his head round to bite himself, or scratch his cheek with 

 his hind foot, unless it be in the remarkable bending evinced by 

 an ass at the time he crawls under a low rail. 



The figure the spine describes in its course is that, imperfectly, 

 of a double S, or of two/J'oi unusual lengths, placed horizontally, 

 and united thus / — - — """^ . There appear two arcs formed by 

 it, one at the upper part of the neck, another commencing in the 

 back, behind the blade-bone, and running through the loins and 

 croup to the tail. These, therefore, we may take to be the most 

 resisting parts of the structure — the parts most capable of bearing 

 superincumbent weight. In some horses these arcs are more 

 conspicuous than in others. In horses with crested necks and roach 

 backs they are most so; and such horses, on this account, are 

 reckoned strong and able to carry a greater load. There can be no 

 doubt but that roach-backed horses evince the greatest power 

 under the riders : I have experienced it myself on many occasions. 

 It is likewise, I believe, equally true that curved or crest-necked 

 horses have augmented power in their necks. 



An attentive consideration of the figure of the spine will shew 

 the proper place for the seat of the rider : this obviously must be 

 the part where the animal can best support his burthen, and yet not 

 have his action in progression at all impeded. English horsemen 

 are apt to sit in too forward a situation upon their horses; foreigners 

 — Germans in particular — too backward. The saddle should be 

 placed backward enough not to interfere with the motions of the 

 shoulder-blade, and forward enough for the pummel to meet the 

 rise or summit of the withers; the girths crossing at a sufficient 

 distance behind the elbows not to rub against or fret them in 

 action. In the living horse there is a dip in the back, greater or 

 less, immediately behind the withers ; a place the rider upon the 

 bare back naturally slips into for ease and comfort, and particu- 

 larly if he happen to be mounted upon a rough trotter. This, 

 Nature seems to say, is the place for the saddle. 



We have looked at the arcs or arches of the spine ; let us now 



C 



