STAYING POWER, 263 



For absolute weight-carrying power, the animal should have 

 short legs (a fact which would be incompatible with the 

 possession of speed), and should have his pelvis somewhat 

 drooping. 



Staying Power. — The ability to " stay a distance," 

 granting the possession of health and condition, depends 

 (i) on the breathing power being good; (2) on the muscles 

 working to advantage, and on the conformation being of the 

 required kind ; and (3) on the action. 



With respect to the first condition, we require the barrel 

 to be deep and rounded behind the girths (see p. 191), and 

 the flanks to be well ribbed up. 



The second condition will be best fulfilled, from the point 

 of view of speed, when the muscles over the loins are power- 

 ful, and when the forehand is light ; that is to say, when the 

 shoulders and pasterns are oblique, and the head, neck and 

 shoulders light, in which case the fore legs will not be 

 wide apart {see p. 197). As thick muscles are unsuited 

 to bear the strain of continued quick work, we usually find 

 that genuine stayers at fast paces are not heavily built 

 horses. Any excess of height over the croup, as compared 

 to that at the withers, will add to the weight on the fore- 

 hand {see p. 49). The fact of the neck {see p. 181) being 

 abnormally short in comparison to the limbs, will naturally 

 detract from the staying power. The same remark applies 

 to the possession of "sickle-hocks" {see p. 63). In heavy 

 draught, the mechanical advantage will be on the side of a 

 heavy forehand. 



I may remark that there is an important difference 

 between staying-power (using the term in its racing sense), 



