Eassie — So7ne Variations in the Skeleton of the Domestic Horse. 325 



Plate XVI. represents au extreme case of deterioi'atiou of the skeleton in 

 a KaflBr pony. In Plate XVII. are shown a number of Soutli African 

 ponies all deteriorated except the one on extreme riglit. Cases of deteriora- 

 tion are also shown in Plate XVIII. In fig. 1, the horse on the left is an 

 Eiiglisli tliorouglibred by Ingomar — dam by Stirling, whicli was imported for 

 stud purposes. Another example is that of an English thoroughbred by Bon 

 Frere — Lightfoot, by Blair Athol (fig. 2). It is significant that out of five 

 thoroughbred horses captured from the Boers and sent to me to take care of, 

 four were markedly " wedged." I found also, in South Africa, one hackney 

 stallion, and several Arabs imported into South Africa to improve the Basuto 

 breed, all markedly " wedged." As further illustrating the distribution of 

 deterioration of the skeleton in the horse, another picture of this condition 

 in an Indian country-bred is seen in Plate XIX., fig. 1. It is curious that 

 this evidence of deterioration of the skeleton of the domesticated horse from 

 that of the normal wild horse is not mentioned in any work, that I can 

 find, by English or Continental authorities, including the works of Sanson, 

 Ohauveau, Goubaux, and Barrier, the standard authorities on the zootechnic 

 of the horse. 



a b 



Fig. 5.— p. II. Prominence of Hip. H. J. Hip Joint. S. Stifle. 



I shall now refer to some important variations in the skeleton of the 

 domesticated liorse quite distinct from those alluded to. In the Arab the 

 spine is short, because the segments or vertebrae are short. The head is short 

 because of the sliortness of the bones forming the skull. According to 

 Sanson, the African variety of the Arab has one lumbar segment, and 

 the English thoroughbred has one, or even two, less than other races of 

 horses. Neitlier tiiis author, nor Goubaux, nor Ohauveau, nor any other 

 writer that I can find, makes any reference to relative shortness of the 

 segments. 



How the sliortness of tlie spine affects beauty in the horse will be realized 



