Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-10-22
Small Bone in Horses.
BY HARRY HIEOVER.

sess large leg bones. Doubtless good bone
is greut desideratum in the horse; but per-
Sons are apt to form their conclusions solely
| fium what bone he exhibits below the knee,
and hind !eg below the hook. A horse that
is termed tiled in below the knee" is bad
one is SO weak from the hook dOwnwards
in general way; but much depends on the
shape and symmetrical proportion of both.
For instance, leg long in the shank, and
tied in under the knee, will be far weaker
than one in just proportion, though in point
of measurement larger than another. | do
not recullect an instance Of a horse break
ing his leg when ridden, though | have
known such instances occur (particularly
in frosty weather. when going down hill in
coaches. But in my experiences | never
saw one instance of leg yielding, So far as
bone went from being light in that particu-
lar. could quote many instances of hor-
ses, light in bone, carrying heavy weights
brilliantly. Blue Ruin carried his master,
Mr.. John Warde, who weighed twenty
stone; hen | knew the horse first, he car
ried the huntsman. He was, in Byron's
words,
| Rob ust, but not herculean-
a mere strong hunter, as all Warde's hor-
ses were Look at our Horse Guards; hor-
ses; many of them would be considered light
in bone as hunters, to carry say thirteen
stone; yet DO these horses manage to get
along with twenty-five q believe about the
average wight of Life Guardsman, with
all his accoutrements) 1t is true, they do
not cross country, but they often go coEsid-
cradle distances to review, and bear that
weight many hours We all know that an
egg, properly poised, will bear immense
pressure; three tobacco pipes, placed in
peculiar position, vii sustain the pressure
of large pailIui of water. Thus / hold
that where light boned horses are capable
Of carrying heavy weights, the attribute
arises from proper position Of the bones
and joints, irrespective of their size. We
frequently see it thus with small-armed
men; they are often the hardest hitters, the
sharpest bowlers, and the lOngest throwers,
and frequently can lift great weights from
the ground with enc hand (or rather arm }
|. may be said that all this is acquired
knack We may call carrying eighteen
stone with hounds knack. It is so in a great
measure. Where mere animal strength is
required knack is not necessary. | am not
prepared to affirm (shOugh have heard it
donel that the bone Of tie thorough bred
horse is as strong as that Of the cart-horse,
SO far as the mere bone is concerned, |
should be tempted 10 doubt it, though am
quite aware OF the great difference of tex
ture between the two, which renders the
bone ofthe former far stronger in proportion
than that of the latter.
The best Judge in the world cannot say
what weight horse is equal to til he trieS.
A peculiar way of going enables some hor-
ses to carry weight auother stronger horse
would make a very bad fight of it with.
Horses learn this in time, and will very
much alter their way of going to this end.
Many horses at the beginning Of season
show but uery indifferently under high
weight, that carry that weight with com
parative ease to themselves at the end of it:
the fact is, they have learnt how to save
themselves, and to 20 in a form that rend-
ers The weight they have to carry manage
able. The carpenter or blacksmith may be
physically as strong Us the miller or coal
porter, but they could NOT carry sacks of
coal or -four with the same facility: nor
could the coal-porter ,r miller weld the
sledge- hammer as can the blacksmith.
had the question mocted to me by very
sensible man, and COED judge OF horses,
though in no way a racing man Whether
did not think race horses would feel less
the effect Of weight when they came to run
if accustomed to be exercised with nine
stone on the instead. of FIVE SKIP | have
no doubt but they would, and it all races
were four miles, carrying twelve stone, the
idea might be good one; but my friend
forgot that with the race-horse we want
different style of going to what is desirable
in the hunter; we do not want the race
horse to carry great weight, or to go over
rough ground, consequently we do not want
| TO accustom or teach him TO collect, but to
erfend himself. We know quite well that
race horse could not live four miles with
eleven stone on him. going in the form of
two or Il three year old for mile, or d mile
and a half, with eight, often in handicaPs
with six; but by the time the 'old horse,'
that is, one four or five years o Id, contends
| for stakes at high weights, a little 'lPather
flapping' has most probably taught him, like
the hack or hunter that difference or weight
requires difference of action or form OF
going. - london Fields.