2o6 THE BIND LIMB 



sequently, the muscles which bend them, act to greater 

 mechanical advantage. 



We have seen in Chapter VIIL, that for the attainment 

 of high speed, the horse should possess the fullest ability to 

 bend and extend the hind limb. Hence the beauty, in the 

 race-horse, of a '' straight dropped " hind leg. As this power 

 chiefly depends on the action of the hock, I shall defer its 

 further consideration, until I come to that joint. 



On page 138, I have remarked that the desirable pro- 

 portions for the bones of the limb are : pelvis, long ; thigh, 

 short ; tibia (from stifle to hock), long ; cannon, short ; and 

 pastern, long. 



The sets of muscles which move the joints of the hind 

 limb, appear to complete their respective actions, in suc- 

 cession, from above downwards, namely : the hip-joint 

 first ; then the stifle ; and, finally, the hock and fetlock ; the 

 former being extended by the muscle that bends the latter. 

 We may infer that, to be effective in the production of speed, 

 these actions must increase in rapidity in the same order. 

 As the muscles that *' start" the weight at each step are 

 those which extend the hip-joint, we must look for, in the 

 cart-horse, special muscular development of the croup and 

 thigh. In the race-horse, however, length and power of the 

 muscles of the gaskin, which cause acceleration of speed at 

 the end of the *' stroke,'' should be particularly sought fon 

 These deductions, I may remark, are in accordance with the 

 nature of the conformation respectively exhibited by horses 

 which are the representative types of the two classes. 



The Pelvis. — For speed we require the pelvis to be as 

 long as possible ; for strength, as broad as it can be. 



The consideration of the best slope for the pelvis is a much 

 more difficult question than that of the most suitable angle for 

 the shoulder-blade, which, for most purposes, cannot be too 

 oblique. 



If we examine Fig. 94, and refer to Chapter IX., we shall 

 see that the push, in draught, by the hind leg, is in an irregular 



