34 QUICK PROGRESSION. [BOOK I. 



of his fore legs as of his hind ones ; in the straight- 

 built, weli-set limbed horse, the fore legs are then 

 concealed from our sight by the hind ones. I own 

 this is with me a grand criterion for judging as to a 

 horse's capability of going over the ground. In 

 racing, or indeed any running, the fore legs are 

 then brought closer together, the hind legs rather 

 wider (so in leaping), as we see in grey-hounds, 

 hares, deer, and all other fleet creatures. 



Such as I have described is the act of progres- 

 sion with all horses, but in various degrees, accord- 

 ing to their sizes (as with the coach-horse, saddle- 

 horse, poney) ; four such efforts having called into 

 action all the bones of the body, including more or 

 less that of the head, tail, and neck, according to 

 the pace, or other circumstances. — See Section 11. 

 Hence it must be clear, that to perform this duty 

 of progression, or getting forward, properly, as re- 

 gards either the length of time he sustains it, or 

 the quickness of performance, weight, and velocity, 

 the limbs must be adapted to the kind of work the 

 horse has to perform, and to each other, whether 

 that be in harness, on the turf, the chase, or the 

 road. It follows, naturally, that if we bear-tip a 

 horse's head, or cut off his tail, some part of this 

 exertion must be thereby abridged. 



5. We do not find this adaptation of the limbs 

 so much in the amount of covering the bones may 

 have on them, as in the size and proportionable- 

 ness of these, and the suitable manner in which 

 they are fastened together; as may be seen in 



