THE HORSE, HOAV TO BUY. 19S 



of hip, strong, dense bones, sinews like whip-cord, strong joints and flat 

 and wide legs. 



In order to determine this the purchaser should observe first, looking 

 at him from the side, whether he stands resting perpendicularly on every 

 leg alike. The legs should not be straddled outside of their true position, 

 neither should they be gathered together, or in horse-men's phrase, a» 

 though he were trying to stand in a half bushel. He should stand straight, 

 ■quare, and distinctly on every leg. If he stands with the hind legs be^ 

 hind their true position, induce him to move his fore legs forward, to 

 find if such a position gives him ease. Examine him as before stated for 

 splints, damaged back sinews, ring-bones or side-bones in the fore limbs ; 

 and in the hinder ones for bone blood or bog spavins, curbs or thorough 

 pin, as previously described. If he stands as in the figure given on page 

 192, and if he is free from blemish, one may go a long way to finril 

 a better. 



Examine especially whether the pasterns, outline of the hock joints, 

 are nearly perpendicular or angular, or whether they present a conve:/,' 

 curvilinear protuberance just above the union of the shank bone. If no»i 

 there will be little danger of curb, or a tendency to throw them out. H 

 the hocks are drawn in the horse will appear cow -hocked, a malformatiorv 

 as serious as it is ungainly, for thus the animal will be weak. If th» 

 hind-legs are wide apart and the horse straddles in going forward, while 

 it may not weaken his stride it is not elegant. However true it be that 

 some fast and strong trotters straddle — as going wide is termed — this 

 should be avoided. The illustration on page 192 will show accurately 

 good hind-quarters, as those on page 194 will show bad ones. 



On page 194 the figure at the upper left side would be called fine and 

 in every way good to the inexperienced buyer. The buttocks are round 

 but lack character, and the legs are too straight and far behind. 



The figure to the right is bad in every respect — goose-rumped, cat- 

 hammed, with the legs thrown far back to equalize the strain ; the ankle* 

 also weak. 



The figure to the lower left on same page shows a fair quarter, but the 

 legs are thrown too far forward, and the animal stands too straight on th« 

 pasterns. 



The figure to the right is really not badly formed as to the quarter, but 

 the position is cramped and bent, and the limbs badly placed. 



XIII. The View from Behind. 



The view of the horse as seen from behind should show good squar« 

 quarters, full and perfectly shaped gracilis, as those muscles are called 



