BACK AND LOINS. i^jz 



rearing muscles (p. 52), and rotundity of the back ribs 

 (p. 162). In many draught animals the upper muscles of 

 the loins and back stand out as distinct ridges of muscle 

 on each side of the backbone. This beauty in the coarser 

 breeds is not confined to them, but may sometimes be seen 

 in well-bred horses, as was the case with Mr. Kelly Mait- 

 land's Kingcraft, which was one of the best race-horses that 

 has ever been in India. This Australian was a singularly 

 muscular, short-backed animal, to whom distance and weight 

 made comparatively but little difference. This "double- 

 backed '' condition may come on or disappear according to 

 the amount of '' flesh " which the animal carries. A false 

 appearance of flatness and strength of back and loins, and 

 of roundness of barrel, may be temporarily given by ex- 

 cessive fat. 



In default of a generally accepted expression, I may 

 perhaps be allowed to use the term, '* wedge-shaped loins" 

 (namely, loins which slope downwards on each side from 

 the middle line of the back), in contradistinction to *'flat 

 loins " (Fig. 278). We must take in consideration that a 

 wedge-shaped appearance of the loins may be caused by 

 undue length of the spines of the vertebrae of the part, 

 and not by deficiency of muscle, in which case the loins 

 will be more or less reached. 



Shortness of Loins and Back. — The appearance of com- 

 parative shortness or length which the back and loins (or 

 back, if we include the loins in this term, see p. 20) may 

 present, is due, I would submit, chiefly to the following 

 causes : — 



1. The manner in which the croup runs into the loins. 

 For instance, the back and loins will appear short and the 

 croup (or *' quarters ") long, if the pelvis be more or less 

 horizontal ; the contour of the croup free from angularity ; 

 the muscles over the loins largely developed ; and the flanks 

 well ribbed up. We may here compare Figs. 332 and i']'] 

 with Figs. 344, 371, and Ormonde (Frontispiece). 



2. The distance to which the withers run back. I may 



