THE HORSE OF THE FUTURE. 341 



may observe a tendency to bony union between the splint 

 bones and their cannon-bones, and between the lower row of 

 the small bones of the hock and knee, and their respective 

 metatarsal and metacarpal bones. Thus we find that com- 

 paratively harmless forms of " simple " splint and " low " spavin 

 are increasingly common among young horses subjected 

 to civilised conditions. They will, as suggested by Mr. H. 

 G. Rogers, gradually lose their morbid character, and will 

 become normal processes of development. Agreeably to 

 this we may note that such splints and spavins are less 

 liable to injuriously affect the usefulness of a thoroughbred, 

 than of, for instance, a Mongolian pony or a South American 

 broncho. As ages roll on, the splint bones will disappear, 

 and pari pass2i, the small bones of the knee and hock which 

 rest on them. The increasing prevalence of "side-bones" 

 among heavy cart-horses seems to justify the idea that the 

 Shires and Clydesdales of the near future will have no lateral 

 cartilages. Among other changes, the bones of the sternum 

 will in time become joined together, and anchylosis will take 

 place between the pelvis and sacrum. The racer will become 

 comparatively longer in the legs and neck, stronger in the 

 loins, rounder in the barrel and better ribbed up than he now 

 is ; and the draught animal will become shorter in the limbs, 

 and more massive in muscle. Both will increase in height 

 and docility. 



