CONFORMATION OF THE HORSE. 9 



purposes, or for harness work of any kind, though 

 it may be a comfortable one for hack-work. A 

 powerful back and loins constitutes a point of 

 beauty in any horse. If the loins are arched up- 

 wards, the animal is what is termed " roach- 

 backed," and a back of this description brings the 

 fore and hind limbs too near together during move- 

 ment. A narrow-loined horse has no pulling power, 

 compared to one in which the loins are broad, 

 and clad with well-developed muscles. 



The Croup. 



This begins at the termination of the loins, and 

 ends at the tail. What is termed a drooping croup 

 is not a good one, the inclination to the horizontal 

 being preferable. In Irish horses the croup is 

 usually short, and has an abrupt decline. 



The Quarters. 



The quarters proceed from the croup on either 

 side, and it is an essential point of beauty in every 

 horse to have width and depth of quarters. There 

 is a tremendous mass of muscle situated on the 

 quarters, and unless the horse is well developed 

 in this region, it will never have that degree of 



