HYGIENE OF BREEDING 889 



most advantageous, and to revert to a remote ancestor 

 which has not had the advantage of improvement by 

 careful breeding. This shows itself mainly in the limbs, 

 which, instead of being so placed on the body that they 

 look straight forward and can be carried forward in a 

 straight line without any circular movement, are so placed 

 that the whole leg looks outward, while at the same time 

 the chest is narrow, and the quarters, instead of remaining 

 square, become narrow from above downwards. The hocks 

 are close together, and the hind feet and stifles look outwards. 



A horse with this conformation of limb cannot carry his 

 legs forward in a straight line, but must do so with a 

 circular movement, which is a direct waste of power, and, 

 in addition, is very liable to strike the opposite leg in 

 progression. 



On standing in front of such an animal the evidence of 

 degeneration is very marked. The knees and feet are 

 turned outwards, while the elbows are pressed in close to 

 the side, and the chest is narrow, so that the whole limb 

 is too close to the opposite one, particularly at the fetlocks. 

 The knees are small, round, and narrow, and the leg below 

 the knee is small and weak. 



On viewing the animal from behind, the quarters are 

 seen to narrow considerably from above downwards, the 

 points of the hocks are close together, and the feet and 

 stifles turned out. The hocks are small and weak, also 

 the limbs below the hocks. 



Limbs of this degenerate class always have small, weak 

 bones and tendons, and a want of development of the 

 natural bony prominences, which afford leverage for the 

 muscles and tendons. 



Relative Influence of the Sexes. — The general principles 

 by which the breeder should be governed in the selection 

 of the sires and dams respectively must now be dealt with, 

 and in doing so we must touch on a subject about which 

 there has always been a great deal of speculation, viz., the 

 characteristics which are particularly liable to be trans- 

 mitted to the offspring by each parent respectively. 



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