STANDING AT EASE, 65 



points of the buttocks, his fore feet will be brought back 

 more than usual, and he will stand more or less over on 

 them. His head and neck will be raised, and he will be 

 looking to his front, with his ears pricked forward, if he be 

 one of the quick, observant class. 



Many persons who hold decided views on horse con- 

 formation, maintain that a true shaped horse will, when he 

 stands, have his hind legs *' well under him," as in Fig. 45 , 

 such a position being regarded by them as a point of con- 

 formation, and not as an attitude. To prove the fallacy of this 

 idea, I may mention that the same mare, photographed on 

 the same day, is shown in Figs. 45 and 333. In the former, 

 her hind legs are well under her, in the latter they are a little 

 behind her ; the difference being merely one of position or 

 attitude. With reference to this subject, I need hardly 

 say that a horse may assume many attitudes, but he has 

 only one kind of conformation. On the other hand, 

 however, we must not ignore the fact that if a horse is 

 unable to bend the joints (the hocks, fetlocks and pastern 

 joints are the ones which are usually affected) of his hind 

 limbs properly, he will naturally refrain from bringing his 

 hind feet forward, when standing or moving to the front,^ as 

 freely as he would do were his hind limbs in good working 

 order. In judging of this, we should form our opinion more 

 from the action of the animal during movement, than from 

 the position he takes up when standing; although both 

 should of course be considered. 



Standing at Ease. — The sound horse will, almost 

 always, when standing at ease, have both fore feet equally 

 advanced, and with his weight chiefly on them ; for he can 

 obtain this support in front, without muscular effort on his 

 part (to which fact I shall presently again refer), and 

 consequently without fatigue. His head will be lowered, 

 and will be supported by the suspensory ligament of the 

 neck, the action of which is also accomplished without 

 fatigue (p. 28). As the hind limbs are unprovided with an 



