CONFORMATION OF THE HORSE. ii 



dulous in the belly, is, in stablemen's language, 

 called " washy." The flank should be short and 

 thick, so as to give good coupling between the 

 " middle piece " and hind limbs. 



The Fore Limbs. 



The fore-limb comprises the shoulder-blade or 

 shoulder, the arm or humerus, the fore-arm, the 

 cannon, the pastern and the foot. There is a re- 

 markable difference in the conformation of the 

 limbs of a horse, not only as regards their position 

 in relation with other parts of the body, but also 

 in their shape, length, and thickness. It is con- 

 venient to speak of such as being good, bad, 

 and indifferent. When the limbs are of good 

 conformation and well placed, they constitute 

 a valuable asset to the possessor. If a horse 

 has good limbs it is worth a great deal more, 

 commercially, than a horse with bad or in- 

 different ones. Studying the regions in the order 

 named, the author will, first of all, consider the 

 shoulder. The front boundary of the shoulders 

 is formed by the root of the neck, above by the 

 withers, below by the arm, and behind with the 

 ribs. Gracefully turned shoulders are sine qud non 

 in every variety of horse, and judges are very keen 



