POSITION OF CENTRE OF GRA VITK 



41 



placed horizontally. The lower the centre of gravity of a body, the more 

 stable will be its equihbrixitn, as we may see by experimenting with a loaded 

 stick of uniform thickness ; firstly, balanced on its light end, and, secondly, 

 on its heavy extremity. 



In the living animal, the position of the centre of gravity is constantly 

 changing,* on account of the manner in which the respective positions of the 

 various parts alter, especially during movements of the head and neck, 



Colin, the well-known author of Fhysiologie Compark des Animaux 

 Bomestiques, remarks that ^^ the centre of gravity, the exact position of 



Fig. 14.— Position of Centre of Gravity. 



which has never been determined, nearly corresponds, in the horse, to the 

 intersection of two lines — one, vertical, falling behind the xiphoid appendage 

 [cartilage at rearmost point of the breast bone] of the sternum ; the other, 

 horizontal, dividing the middle third from the lower third of the body." 

 Fig. 14, which I have taken from Goubaux and Barrier's EExterimr du 

 Cheval, is drawn in conformity with Colin's remarks. The point of inter- 

 section of the two dotted lines in this figure, shows the position of the 

 supposed centre of gravity. 



We may readily see that the less deep is a horse's body, compared to his 

 length of leg-*-in other words, the more " daylight " he has under him — the 

 higher and more unstable will be his centre of gravity ; and vice versL Taking 

 the foregoing remarks with those on the effect which instability of equilibrium 

 has on speed (p. 54), we may conclude that the faster the horse, other 

 things being equal, the greater will be the proportion of weight on his 

 lore nanci. 



