124 COMPARATIVE SHAPE OF HORSES. 



CHAPTER XV. 



COMPARATIVE SHAPE OF HORSES, 



General Hemaiks— Relations between Height and Length of Body — Com- 

 paiative Height at Withers and Croup — Points m Common — Limit of 

 Height — Thickness of Limb — Length of Neck— Length of Head — ^Width 

 between the Foie Legs — Compaiative Weight of Body — Comparative 

 Length of the Bones of the Limbs — Differences of Confoimation between 

 the Two Sexes. 



General Remarks. — In order to simplify comparison and 

 to prevent tedious repetition, I venture to divide horses, from 

 a conformation point of view, into (i) horses of speed, and 

 (2) horses of strength ; and also into {a) saddle horses, and 

 (b) harness horses. Thus, we have the speedy saddle horse 

 in the flat-racer ; the speedy harness horse in the match- 

 trotter ; the strong saddle horse in the weight-carrying hunter 

 and trooper ; and the strong draught horse in the Shire or 

 Clydesdale. I shall therefore contrast, in this chapter, 

 '' points " of speed with those of strength ; and the differences 

 between horses intended for the saddle, and those required 

 for work in the shafts. English and Colonial lovers of horses 

 will demand a further distinction — to which I shall do my 

 best to attend — between flat race horses and cross country 

 horses. In general terms, the outcome of this research will 

 be a more or less successful investigation into the '* points'' 

 of the race-horse ; hunter, trooper, or riding hack ; match 

 trotter ; light harness horse ; and heavy cart-horse. I shall 

 endeavour to show later on, that all riding hacks and cavalry 

 horses should possess the jumping points of the hunter. It is 

 evident that the steeplechase horse should be a judicious 

 combination of the hunter and the race-horse. The fast 

 horse, whether racer or American match trotter, can no more 



