HEIGHT AT WITHERS AND CROUP. 129 



Stone ten pounds for a colt of his age) In the same year, was 

 a very deep-chested horse, as his depth from his withers to 

 his brisket (just behind the elbow) was an inch more than 

 from his brisket to the bottom of his fetlock. He was thus 

 an inch deeper than Ormonde, who was one and three-quarter 

 inches deeper than St Simon. St. Gatien, I need hardly 

 say, was particularly distinguished by his ability to stay a 

 distance. 



The fact of foals (Fig. 233) being extremely " long on the 

 leg'' accounts for their great speed as compared to their 

 strength. Without this peculiarity of conformation, there is 

 no doubt that the horse, prior to the time at which he 

 became domesticated, would not have survived the struggle 

 of existence 



Comparative Height at Withers and Croup. — 



'* Comparative length of fore and hind limbs " would be a 

 more correct heading for this paragraph than the present one, 

 which I adopt solely for the sake of convenience. It goes 

 almost without saying that it is much easier to compare the 

 respective heights of a horse at the withers and croup, when 

 he is standing in the ordinary position in which we get him 

 placed for inspection, than to judge of the comparative 

 lengths of his fore and hind legs, clothed as they are with 

 skin and muscle. In adopting the more convenient method 

 of the two, due allowance should be made for the attitude 

 in which the horse places himself. 



The conditions under which the limbs play their part 

 in locomotion, are so complex and varied, that I can lay 

 down rules on this subject only in very general terms. We 

 must also bear in mind that there is a certain limit of height 

 (largely influenced by breed) which the horse should not 

 exceed, and which will be discussed on page 134, et seq, 

 I may state the present question as follows : at any given 

 height, is it advantageous for the horse to be higher at the 

 withers than he is over the top of the croup, or vic& versa, 

 when he is intended for galloping, jumping, light harness, or 



K 



