THK HIND LEGS. 79 



attempt this, his wide gait must make his burthen the greater. 

 Broad-hipped horses, in their gallop, cannot throw their hind feet 

 centrically forward in progression in the way racers are required 

 to do. They will possess stability and strength in action, but their 

 freedom or extent of action will be diminished ; neither will they 

 possess the same facility in turning sharp or quick as horses of a 

 different make. One of the broadest-hipped horses I ever knew 

 belonged to an officer of the Guards, and of him great complaints 

 were made about his " rolling and awkward gait behind," and his 

 inability to "turn about and wheel round" with the required 

 promptitude ; the consequence was, that he lost his place as a 

 charger, and was sold as a harness-horse. In a general way, 

 horses measure about twenty inches across from hip-bone to hip- 

 bone ; though some will run as much in their measure as twenty- 

 two, while others will not exceed nineteen inches. I do not find, 

 as in human beings, any notable difference between the width of 

 the pelvis in the male and female horse. 



Although the race-horse may prove disadvantageously broad 

 across his hips, I believe he will never be found either too lengthy 

 or too straight in his quarters ; by which I mean, the length and 

 elevation of an imaginary line carried from either hip to the point 

 of his quarter, or of another carried from the summit of his rump 

 to the root of his dock. Such straight formation of quarter implies 

 small degree of declination in the position of the pelvis, the effect 

 of which is extension of the angles between the pelvis and the 

 femoral bones, and correspondent increase of the distances be- 

 tween the pelvis and the stifles in front, and between the pelvis 

 and hocks behind ; thereby augmenting the dimensions of the 

 muscles running between these salient points, and at the same 

 time furnishing them with, under the circumstances, the greatest 

 advantages in their action. Length and straightness in the 

 quarters must, therefore, be regarded as characteristic attributes 

 of the race-horse. 



Genuine hackneys, and many good hunters too, possess quar- 

 ters the reverse of this in form ; more, in fact, like that of cart- 

 horses ; and, when it is considered that the former are desired for 

 their walking and trotting paces, and the latter in their gallop to 

 carry great weight, we need feel no surprise at this : blood quar- 



