THE HUMERUS. 215 



the Stability of the body than in propelling it. We may also 

 infer that horses which have toe-pieces on their fore-shoes, 

 will do their work best when their shoulders are upright. 



The shoulders of the hack and light harness horse ought to 

 be oblique and light in order to obtain sure-footedness, good 

 forward reach, and sufficient knee action. Although the 

 match trotter should be built more or less like a race-horse, 

 it is even more necessary for his shoulders to be sloping than 

 for those of the galloper ; because, unless they are so, he can- 

 not have free knee action. I may mention that the fast 

 trotter requires to be able to bend his knees a good deal more 

 than the race-horse. 



The shoulder-blades of the jumper, as I have before 

 noticed, should be long and particularly oblique, so as to 

 enable him, in the best possible manner, to resist the shock 

 of landing over a fence. On account of having this special 

 kind of work to do, his shoulders should be more muscular 

 than those of the race-horse. The fact of his shoulders being 

 sloping, will enable him to "take off" more cleverly at any 

 obstacle than he could do, were they upright. 



The Humerus. — The position and form of this bone, 

 which lies between the shoulder joint and elbow, are so hidden 

 by the muscles about it, that it is difficult to form a correct 

 opinion as to its conformation. Even if it were exposed to 

 view as much as is the fore-arm, I cannot see how the fact of 

 its being so, would greatly help us. We know that forward 

 propulsion given by the fore limb must take place through 

 it ; but I cannot say exactly what', is its best direction for 

 purposes of progression. We are aware that the different 

 paces of the horse require, in varying proportions, the pro- 



