THE TRUNK. 



bind the vertebrae together, owing to the effects of hard work 

 and debiHty. Thus, we may often see a horse which in his 

 youth had a straight back, become hollow-backed in his old 

 age. From the different position assumed by man when 

 moving, the opposite to this occurs to ourselves. An 

 appearance of hollow back may be given by unusually 

 large development of that part [posierioi^ iliac spine, see 

 Fig. 3) of the pelvis which forms the highest point of the 

 croup. I have also observed, especially among Arab ponies, 

 the same kind of conformation arise from the pelvis being 

 set up particularly high in animals which were low in front. 

 No exception can be taken to an apparently hollow back 

 produced by the putting-on of the pelvis. 



Without any exception, the top of the back and loins 

 should be as flat and broad as possible ; for this condition 

 indicates the presence of powerful rearing muscles {see p. 64), 

 and rotundity of the back ribs {see ^. 191). In many draught 

 animals, the upper muscles of the loins and back stand out as 

 distinct ridges of muscle on each side of the backbone. This 

 beauty in the coarser breeds is not confined to them, but may 

 sometimes be seen in well-bred horses, as was the case with 

 Mr. Kelly Maitland's Kingcraft, which was one of the best 

 race-horses that has ever been in India. This Australian was 

 a singularly muscular, short-backed animal, to whom distance 

 and weight made comparatively but little difference. This 

 " double-backed " condition may come on or disappear accord- 

 ing to the amount of " flesh " which the animal carries. A 

 false appearance of flatness and strength of back and loins 

 may be temporarily given by excessive fat. 



Shortness of Loins and Back. — ^The appearance of com- 

 parative shortness or length which the back and loins (or 



