HINTS ON HORSES 



41 



when seen in profile. It is a quality for a 

 horse to be what is called "big in the bone," 

 in other words big below the knee, but this 

 bigness should be as above described. 



In 1658 the Duke of Newcastle wrote, " I 

 have experienced this difference between the 

 bone of the leg of a Barbary horse and one 

 from Flanders, viz. that the cavity of the bone 

 in one shall hardly admit of a straw, whilst 

 you may thrust your finger into that of the 

 other." 



Thoroughbreds have fine-looking legs ; 

 their bone is often compared to ivory. If a 

 horse's canon bone is small, it is often de- 

 scribed as being " tied in below the knee " 

 (Fig. 20,/). This is a source of weakness. 



Back tendons. — Behind the canon bone is the 

 back tendon, which forms part of the posterior 

 outline of the leg when seen in profile. About 

 halfway down the shank the suspensory 

 ligament shows itself, like a taut cord sup- 

 porting the fetlock. In perfectly sound fresh 

 horses these tendons and ligaments show 

 up very sharply, and catch the eye. In 

 sunshine the shadows they cast make regular 

 accents. 



Any bulges or swellings on these denote 

 unsoundness. 



Knees and forearms. — Having placed the 

 fetlock and the withers, we can now place the 

 elbow, if for a full-grown horse, halfway 

 between the two. From the elbow to the 

 knee is the forearm. This shows muscular 

 development, and its condition indicates the 

 condition of the horse. To place the knee we 

 must take into consideration the character of 

 the horse. The lower the knee is placed the 

 greater the capacity for speed. As an example 

 study the greyhound. 



The lower the knee, the longer the fore- 

 arm, and the shorter the shank. A term of 

 approval is "short canons," or short below 

 the knee. 



The knee should be large and flat. The 

 elbow sometimes has a lump similar to a 

 "capped hock." This is termed "capped 

 elbow " (Fig. 20, e). It is generally due to a 

 horse, when lying down, restmg his elbow on 

 the heel of his shoe, thus showing that the 

 shoe wants shortening. If this shortening is 

 overdone the end of the shoe, which must 

 always take the horse's weight, will press 



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