LECTURES ON HOUSES. 
363 
an influence on the action of the shoulder, it being manifest that a 
body revolving upon its own centre must describe arcs or sweeps 
great in proportion to its length; hence the value of a deep 
shoulder : though, as regards the scapula itself, the muscles at- 
tached to and moving it will necessarily be short in a case where 
the bone is disproportionately long, and vice versa. When the 
scapula is' placed nearly upright, or is of disproportionate short- 
ness, there cannot be that extent or freedom of action in the 
shoulders, at least, there cannot be that projecture of the limb that 
there is in opposite conformations. The movements of the fore 
limbs must necessarily be confined or imperfectly effected, and 
where that of the hind limbs happens to be “ good,” or of a more 
perfect kind — as is not infrequently the case — there will be great 
danger of the horse being, by the comparatively superior action in 
the agents of progression, precipitated forwards. 
A good shoulder not only possesses depth and obliquity, but, 
to complete its perfection, “ lies well into the body.” How often 
do we discover upon the superficies of the shoulder a bump a little 
below and behind the withers, marking the situation of the sum- 
mit or base of the scapula! In the generality of instances this 
arises from the ribs being arched in that part, which precludes the 
possibility of the scapula being properly accommodated to them : 
a flattened body applied against one that is convex must necessa- 
rily project as the latter recedes from it ; and the only way in 
which this can be obviated is, either to diminish or alter the 
convexity, or to give to the straight body a concave form ; both of 
which accommodations are seen exemplified in what we call “good- 
shouldered horses.” The bump is caused by the top of the sca- 
pula standing out from the convexity of the ribs : where this is 
not the case, the surface appears and feels uniformly level, and 
where muscles or fat abound, is so smooth that we in vain seek 
the traces of the scapula through the skin. The uprightness and 
the length of the scapula likewise, in some instances, operate in 
producing the bump. In any case, the bump betrays mal-dispro- 
portion or mal-apposition of parts : in other words, would not be 
present if all had been formed and fitted to perfection. 
A shoulder, then, that possesses depth, obliquity, and uniformity, 
is said to be “good;” and for the purposes of those springy 
actions and paces which are most agreeable to and admired by 
the rider, good it most unquestionably is : it is good for action, 
good for speed, good for spring, and as a point of beauty is verita- 
bly indispensable. Still, though this be confessedly the proto- 
type, we are not to set all other kinds and descriptions of shoulders 
down as faulty and objectionable. For the carriage of heavy bur- 
then, and for heavy draught, I believe a straight or upright and 
