26o CONDITION, AND GOOD LOOKS. 



the notice of a casual observer) why the grey horse in 

 PL 35 looks so well, is that the curves of the under part 

 of his body — from muzzle, lower lip (assisted by the rein), 

 along lower jaw, under throat, down neck, in front of 

 chest, along the belly, under groin, and carried in front of 

 both hind legs — are very graceful. In all cases, oblique 

 shoulders, sloping pasterns, long and well-arched back ribs, 

 muscular loins, more or less horizontal pelvis, tail set high up, 

 straight-dropped hind leg (contrast PI. 51 with PI. 49), will 

 be beauties. 



As heavy cart-horses are often somewhat "back at the 

 knees " {see p. 2 1 8), the presence of a good supply of fine 

 hair behind the back tendons, increasing in amount from the 

 knee to the fetlock, will balance this concavity. I do not 

 think that docking, except when it is done to remove an 

 unsightly " kink," ever improves the appearance of a horse, 

 from an artistic point of view. The removal of the forelock, 

 when hogging the mane, is always an eyesore. Whenever 

 good looks are sought to be studied, the mane should not be 

 hogged, if the animal has a light neck. As a horse is looked 

 at more frequently from the near than from the off-side, his 

 mane, as a rule, should fall to the off-side. 



As regards colour, see Chapter XX. With it we may 

 include a bright, healthy-looking coat. 



Under this heading we must also put good carriage of 

 the head and tail, and true and showy action. For carriage 

 of the head and neck, see p. 80, et seq. The tail during 

 movement should be held well out, with the hairs falling from 

 it in o-raceful curves. To look well, the limbs should work in 

 lines parallel to the direction in which the horse is going ; 

 for any crossing or dishing of the legs will detract from the 



