Scais and Saddles. 33 



of the projecting position of the head and neck, espe- 

 cially when the horse stands at ease, a somewhat greater 

 proportion of its total weight falls on the fore legs than 

 on the hinder ones ; and when it depresses its head still 

 more than is represented in Plate I. — for instance, for 

 the purpose of grazing — the animal puts forward one 

 fore leg, and usually at the same time the hind leg of 

 the opposite side, for the purpose of securing its equi- 

 librium ; and even horses standing still, especially un- 

 der a load, do the same, in order to rest each pair of 

 legs alternately. 



We learn two facts from this : first, that the fore legs 

 are essentially bearers, and that the hinder ones, although 

 chiefly propellers, are also to a certain extent bearers; 

 and secondly, that a perpendicular line falling through 

 the centre of gravity of a horse, as here represented, 

 would lie nearer to the shoulder than the perpendicular 

 E F, which falls through the centre of motion — that is, 

 the fourteenth dorsal vertebra — and would probably cut 

 the twelfth, or perhaps the eleventh, in some horses. 

 Now, instead of going into the scientific detail of centres 

 of gravity, which might prove difficult to some and 

 tedious to most readers, we shall endeavor to render 

 intelligible all that is really important to be known, by 

 a very simple experiment that any one can repeat for 

 themselves, a b c d^ fig. i, represents a piece of thin 

 board 9 inches long by 4 inches wide, at whose corners 

 four legs of about 72 inches long are fixed on with one 

 screw each, so as to allow them to be moved either to 

 front or rear, but sufficiently tight to retain them in the 

 position in which they are placed. A small weight is 

 then placed exactly on the centre point of the board at 

 f^ the four legs being adjusted square, as at :v ;v a: at If 

 the weight be not so heavy as to overcome the slight 

 friction of the heads of the screws, the board will re- 

 main in its position — that is, it will stand ; but if it be 



C 



