PROPORTIONS OF THE HORSE, 309 



extreme types, that the legs of the heavy cart-horse are 

 far shorter than those of the racer (compare Fig. 334 with 

 Fig. 322). Thus, in the cart-horse, the length of the body 

 and its depth at the withers are, respectively, several inches 

 more than the height, and the distance of the brisket from 

 the ground. The racer, on the contrary, is inclined to be 

 shorter than he is high, and measures much less from the 

 withers to brisket than from brisket to ground. 



As the result of my own observations I may add the 

 following proportions for thoroughbreds only : — 



(10) Height at withers (c d) = length of body (a b), or a little (say, up 



to 4 inches) more. 



(11) Depth at withers {c e) = distance of " girth place " to lower part of 



fetlock in a three-year-old, or to centre of pastern in an 

 " aged " horse. 



Beyond repeating (p. 136) that the muscles of the neck 

 should be proportionate in length to those of the limbs, I 

 can offer no useful hint as regards the comparative length of 

 the neck ; for the only measurement which can be readily 

 taken of it, namely, that from the withers to the top of the 

 head, greatly alters in length, on account of the elasticity of 

 the connecting ligament (p. 28), according to the position 

 in which the head is held. We must here remember that 

 this suspensory ligament of the head and neck is immediately 

 underneath the crest, and that the vertebrae of the neck 

 (Fig. 12) do not follow this line. 



