LECTURES ON HOUSES. 
423 
heavy, would shorten her step and go pattering along as though 
she had all at once fallen lame in her feet. In respect to the 
uprightness or straightness of what we may now call “ harness 
shoulders,” there seems to be some connexion between their form- 
ation and the common remark in the mouths of coachmen, “ the 
collar cannot set too upright” in position : the straight shoulder 
affords good reason for such advice, for the scapula and collar 
will lie nearer in the same line, act therefore more harmoniously 
together, and the horse, in consequence, will be likely to work not 
only more agreeably to himself but with greater effect. If this be 
the proper view to take of draught, so far as the harness-collar 
and the scapula are concerned, the exposition may prove the 
means of throwing some light on the “ setting” of the former : the 
remark of the coachman is founded on experience : he knows well 
that in general the collar cannot “ set too upright,” because — 
a circumstance perhaps he does not heed — his horses are in 
general of that description that have thick straight shoulders : 
when, however, the shoulders happen to be oppositely formed — 
such as are better adapted for riding than for drawing — we sub- 
mit, the coachman’s remark must fall to the ground, it being ad- 
visable, in such a case, that the set of the collar should be oblique — 
correspond, in fact, with the inclination of the scapula. 
“ A fine SHOULDER” is a phrase among horse-people too often 
apt to be misapplied. Because a horse happens to have very 
great depth and obliquity in his shoulders, with high tapering 
withers, he is often said to possess fine or perfect shoulders, when, 
in reality, he probably lacks in them the very property of more 
consequence than any other we have been considering, and that 
is, muscularity. His shoulders are oblique and deep, and thin at 
the withers ; but so bony are they, so deficient of flesh or muscle, 
that the blade-bone appears as if it had no covering save the skin, 
through which its outlines are sufficiently apparent to render the 
horse a most desirable subject for any student of the anatomy of 
the bone to make observations upon. Muscle-less, and consequently 
weak as such shoulders are, horses having them often are en- 
dowed with brilliant action, and for riding turn out most agree- 
able ; to carry or draw weight, however, or as hunters — or even as 
racers, except for light weights and short distances — these horses 
never can turn out of any value : unless they happen to have — 
which is very seldom the case — extraordinary powers in their arms 
and hind quarters, and width in the chest. When the reverse of 
this accompanies the thin fleshless shoulder, however deep it may 
be, however oblique, however fine upon the withers, for all pur- 
poses where stability, strength, and endurance are required, it is 
absolutely inefficient. 
