14 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



top of the shoulder-blade, or if you like the expres- 

 sion better, as high withers are not at all necessary 

 for the turf, the top of the shoulder-blade must be a 

 full inch below the top of the withers ;* and if the 

 withers are wide at top he will generally carry weight 

 better than if rather fine. After the fall of the with- 

 ers the spine must run straight, without any ups or 

 downs, or arches, to the croup at the end of the loins, 

 that is, to the centre between the haunch bones ; and 

 from there, as mentioned before, it must be carried 

 out straight to the tail. If the spine has any of these 

 arches the back will be galled by the saddle, and if 

 there is a depression at the back of the saddle, where 

 the back and loins join, it shows weakness. A de- 

 pression also where the loins and croup join, "the 

 hind quarters looking separated from the back," is 

 twenty times worse. After the fall of the withers 

 the spine is often straight, yet gradually ascending ; 

 this is an advantage, provided the ascent is continued 

 to the end of the loins ; and if from thence it is gradu- 

 ally carried on to the tail, he will, notwithstanding a 

 good height of withers, look higher behind than before, 

 which is favourable, t The straightness of spine is 

 essential : a horse at full speed, with his head and 

 neck thrust out, gallops as horizontally as possible : 

 a hollow backed horse scarcely ever runs well. Pur- 



* I once saw an Arab a deformity with the top of the shoulder-blades 

 higher than the withers, yet he was hog-hunted. 



t William Osmer. Fifth edition. Treatise on the Horse, p. 222. "If the 

 forehand be more lofty than the croup, he cannot run worth a curse." How 

 ridiculous it is to see a London horse-dealer placing the horse, when brought 

 out for inspection, with the fore-legs on the highest ground, making him appear 

 of that build as if he would slip his girth. A well-built horse should merely 

 have a nice rise in the withers, but the above abominable position ruins the 

 appearance, making the whole backbone from the withers to the tail gradual- 

 ly declining backward like the formation of a camelopard. 



