64 



ATTITUDES OF THE HORSE, 



In the froni view of the horse — when he is standing in an 

 unconstrained position, with his feet equally advanced and a 

 little distance apart — the fore arms will slightly* converge, and 

 the cannon-bones will be about parallel to each other (Fig. 46). 

 A vertical and longitudinal plane passing through the centre 

 of the knee and fedock of each leg will cut the centre of the 

 toe. In Fig. 47 the toes are turned in, and in Fig. 48 they 

 are turned out. 



The rear view of the horse in Fig. 50 illustrates the 

 condition known as *^ cow-hocks," in which the points of 

 the hocks are more or less turned in. Figs. 49 and 289 



Fig. 45 —Standing Collectedly. 



show symmetrically shaped hind legs, viewed from behind. 

 Although I have devoted much careful study to this 

 subject, I can apply no geometrical rules to determine, 

 as some writers have tried to do, the correct shape of the 

 legs from this aspect It can, in my opinion, be judged only 

 by the trained eye of the observer— I mean in deciding 

 whether the hocks are correcdy placed, turned in, or turned out 



Standing "Collectedly.'" — This is the position (Fig. 

 45) a horse assumes when he makes ready to move quickly 

 away from the place in which he is standing. His hind feet 

 will be well in front of a perpendicular line dropped from the 



