CHEST AND RIBS. 



191 



breathing. Although I mention in this connection only the 

 last ribs, I take for granted that its neighbouring ribs would 

 conform, more or less, to its length, shape and inclination to 

 the rear. From the foregoing considerations, I would regard 

 roundness of barrel behind the girths ; depth of body (as 

 compared to length of body) in the centre of the back ; and 

 being well ribbed up, as the great signs, in conformation, 

 of a horse having good breathing power. As " the middle 

 false ribs are those which have the greatest power of being 

 drawn forwards and outwards " {see p. 35), they, in com- 

 parison to the length of the body, should be as long, as well 

 as convex, as possible. On account of their lower ends 

 being difficult to trace in the living animal, we may con- 

 veniently judge of their approximate lengths, by the depth of 

 the body at the centre of the back, making due allowance for 

 the "condition " of the animal. If we examine the Frontis- 

 piece and Pis. 35 and 56, which show three horses in 

 training for racing, we shall notice that the back ribs of both 

 Ormonde and Romance were of good length, thus indicating 

 fine breathing power ; and that those of the " weed " were 

 unusually short. As might have been expected, this mare, 

 though fast, was a very poor stayer. I need hardly say that 

 the shape of the body should be judged by the body itself, 

 and without reference to the length or substance of the legs. 

 The fact, as often occurs, of the body being too heavy for 

 the legs, in no way affects the proportion which its length, 

 depth and thickness bear to each other. The popular term, 

 " slack in the loins," which I have used, is applied to the ob- 

 jectionable condition of the last rib being short and at a con- 

 siderable distance from the point of the hip. As this kind of 

 conformation usually accompanies a more or less weak state 



