204 THE TRUNK. 



appearance and closed when at rest, A hollow, flabby and 

 open condition of the part indicates illness or general debility. 



Tail. — The tail should be muscular at its root, and 

 naturally short as regards its solid portion (dock). Strength 

 of tail, as may be tested by endeavouring to lift it up with 

 the hand under the root, usually shows vigour of body. 

 A naturally long dock is, to a certain extent, a sign of 

 inferior breeding. 



The tail should, in all cases, be set on " high " {see Frontis- 

 piece and PI. 58) ; as this form points to a more or less hori 

 zontal position of the sacrum. If this part be bent downwards, 

 as in Pis. 32 and 36, so as to form a decided angle with the 

 vertebrae of the loins and back, the backbone will not be as 

 well adapted to purposes of locomotion as it would be if 

 it were comparatively horizontal. 



The tail should be carried well away from the quarters ; 

 for this will indicate that its muscles are in good order. 

 Some horses, especially those of high spirit and good blood, 

 when going fast, carry the tail " like a flag," having the 

 clock raised and more or less concave. It looks very bad 

 if the tail, when carried low down, say, at the walk, has a 

 concave bend in it, particularly if there be an abrupt turn 

 or "kink" in the tail near its end. Such a carriage of tail 

 is usually supposed to be associated with an "ungenerous" 

 disposition; although this is not always the case. In coming 

 to a decision on this subject, we should not fail to take 

 into consideration the indications afforded by the eyes and 

 ears. Thus, if the horse, although carrying his tail 

 "meanly," had a " kind," fearless look about the eyes, and 

 kept his ears well to the front, and worked them in a quick 



