WIDTH BETWEEN THE LEGS, 53 



Carrying out the same train of reasoning, we may see that the longer a horse's 

 body, the greater will be the mechanical disadvantage at which these muscles 

 will woik ; hence, a short body is a desirable point in the race-horse and 

 jumper. 



The combined working of oblique shouldeis, well-sloped pasterns and 

 strong rearing muscles, by preventing the fore hand going down at each 

 stride, aids in obtaining the much admired " level " action in the race-horse. 

 An animal which has a long body, heavy shoulders, upright pasterns, and 

 weak loins (showing deficiency in the points just advocated), will, if he be 

 put to a gallop, go in an up-and-down style; because his rearing muscles 

 will be over-taxed by the weight of the fore hand at the end of the long lever 

 made by his body, and because his fetlock joints will have deficient "play/' 



I may remark that, although the loin muscles appear to be almost 

 quiescent during easy walking and gentle trotting, they may be observed to 

 act energetically in flexing and extending the loins when the animal is 

 leaping and galloping, and when his powers are taxed in drawing a heavy 

 load. Any one who has ridden races or gallops on speedy thoroughbreds, 

 will know from experience the immense power behind the saddle possessed 

 by animals of this class; for the rider cannot fail to feel the vigorous "lift" 

 given by the loins at each stride. 



It is a popular fallacy to imagine that the muscles over the loins are 

 propellers. They have no propelling power at all; for they are not 

 connected either with the thigh bone, or with any of the bones of the limb 

 below it ; their office in locomotion being merely to regulate the weight on 

 the fore hand. I may mention that the muscles (those which constitute the 

 under-cut in a saddle of mutton, or in sirloin of beef) under the loins, draw 

 the thigh foiward. 



Width between each respective Pair of Legs as affecting 

 Speed. — Let us suppose that the rectangle abed (Fig. 37) diagram- 

 matically represents the body of the horse; that the fore limbs are placed 

 at the angles a and ^; that the hind limbs are at d and e-, and that 

 the centre of gravity is at c Were both fore legs and both hind legs to 

 act respectively at the same moment, we would have the centre of gravity 

 moved in a straight hne, and in the direction in which the animal's body 

 was placed. In the amble (p. 85), the propulsion is given through a and 

 d, and through b and e alternately, with the result, in the former case, that 

 the centre of gravity is displaced to the right, and in the latter to the left 

 In the trot (p. 82), the alternate strokes are through a and <?, and b and d. If 

 these respective propulsions, in the trot, were equal to each other, and if the 

 centre of gravity were midway between the fore and hind legs, there would 

 be no displacement of it from side to side. As however the impetus derived 

 from the hind limb is greater than that from the fore leg, and as the centre 

 of gravity is nearer the latter than the former, there is a certain tendency to 

 lateral displacement, which has to be corrected by muscular efifort This 

 tendency to a rocking movement from side to side is naturally greater in the 



