The Muscles and Their Work. 21 



mals, the quality is interfered with if the connective 

 tissue is in excess, the coarseness, lack of pliability of 

 the skin, being indications. Meat (muscle) showing 

 several colors, rainbow-like, is always tough, due to the 

 presence of 'connective tissue which, being mixed in with 

 the muscular tissue, gives the peculiar play of colors. 

 In all live stock, excellence of breeding shows in the 

 quality of the skin, hence we have sound reasons for the 

 use of well bred sires and dams in preference to the 

 mongrel, whether the progeny is for draft purposes or 

 for food. Muscles constitute the lean of meat and are 

 made up of fine fibres. Movement takes place by the 

 shortening (contraction) of those fibres. The strength 

 of a muscle is proportionate to its thickness, other things 

 being equal ; it has been estimated that a muscle con- 

 tracts about two-thirds of its length, therefore, the stride 

 depends on the length of the muscle ; as length of mus- 

 cle is accompanied by length of bone, we can often judge 

 the former by the latter. In the race horse we desire 

 the greatest possible length of muscle with sufficient 

 strength for carrying weight. As a thin muscle will 

 contract as quickly as a thick one of the same length, 

 therefore, the larger muscle would be a disadvantage, 

 owing to the increased weight of bone and muscle, and 

 consequently greater friction, together with increased 

 slowness to nervous stimuli. Muscles are divided into 

 fleshy and tendinous portions, the latter are tough, hard, 

 fibrous cords (sinews), being for the purpose of econo- 

 mizing space and for attachment to bones. Muscles are 

 related to the body and limbs according to their actions 

 and locations. The amount of force exhibited by a 



