19U ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



his fore-quarters and collect his hind-quarters under him in going. These 

 points, moreover, cause the belly to appear the smaller ; which if it be 

 large at once injures the appearance of the animal and renders him 

 weaker and less manageable. The quarters should be broad and fleshy in 

 order to correspond with the sides and chest, and, should they be entirely 

 firm and solid they would be the lighter in the gallop, and the horse would 

 be the speedier. But if he should have his buttocks separated under the 

 tail by a broad line, with a wider space between them, and so doing he 

 will have a prouder and stronger gait and action, and will in all respects 

 be the better on them. A proof of which is to be had in men, who, 

 when they desire to raise any thing from the ground attempt it hy 

 straddling their legs not by bringing them close together." 



XI. Front View of Pore-quarters, Showing Different Bad Conformations. 



Explanation. — On page 191 the upper left hand figure shows the legs 

 fair to the knee, but from thence down, bad, and with toes turned very 

 much out. 



The next figure on the right, is very bad, the knees turned out and th* 

 toes turned in ; a dangerous horse, and unfit for driving or riding. 



The lower figure to the left is as unsightly as possible ; the legs spreadj, 

 weak, straddling, and with the toes turned out. Such a horse may be 

 tolerably sure-footed, if carefully managed, and not hard-driven, but one 

 never lo be depended upon. 



The next figure at right of bottom, is bad all over, weak-limbed, knock- 

 kneed and splay-footed. A horse never to be depended upon and un- 

 serviceable in the extreme. 



Between these there are many gradations, which those who study these 

 pages may profit by examining and comparing with the front view of a 

 perfect shape given on page 187, and which carried fully in mind will 

 go a great way in enabling one to form a pretty accurate opinion in buy- 

 ing a horse. 



XTI. The Hind-quarters. 



It has been said that the fore-quarters of a horse are simply to hold him 

 up, while the hind-quarters propel the machine. This in a sense is true, 

 but a horse, however good his hind-quarters be, must not only have the 

 fore limbs good enough to hold him up, but to keep him out of the way 

 of the hind feet, and at the same time assist in propelling the body. In 

 fact, the whole animal should be composed of parts working harmoni- 

 ously together, each assisting the other while doing its own work; 



