The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-04
HowrorELL AeooD RACE HORSE
Points in Yearlings that Experts Agree
Indicate Speed
From the Nelv York Herald

Indicate Speed
From the Neir York Herald
Hundreds OF yesrling thoroughbred
horses are now being brought from their
native pastures TO be offered for sale IN
New York. The buyers of yearlings who
can Judge correctly of horses future by
what they see Of him in his box or led
about the paddock are few and far between.
1t is the object of this article TO give some
idea to Intending purchasers Of what a
yeaTlrg that may reasonably De expected
TO become a race horse should be like.
To begin with, his head should be wide
and preferably fat across the forehead IN
telligent, and not too small. The eyes must
be large prominent and far apart. A pig
syV," or sunken eye denotes sullenness, IN
tracSability and want OF courage. Mucnof
the white shown indicates viciousneSs. The
lateral shape of tie head does not SO much
matter. Roman nosed horses are generally
hardy and enduring. Yet many prefer
slight concavity from the lower part of the
forehead for short distance and then
convexity to the nostrils, which SHOULD be
wide slowing plainly the red lining when
the horse is excited or blowing. The nluZzie
should be small and the lips thin and com
pressed. pendulous lip is sign Of con
stitutional weakness and want of decision.
The Jaws should be wide beneath like
game cocks, 50 as tn give plenty OF room
for the windpipe, which must be large and
loose. The ears should be short and pricked,
although occasionally 6 cd horses are seen
with lop ears.
POINTS ABOUT HEAD AND NECK.
The head should be set upon the neck at
an ang Of about 1907. If at a smaller
angle, or q greater, the horse dees not carry
il well A high chest is also Objectionable,
and so is a eve neck-that is a straight
neck, inclining upward, but the latter is
the less evil OF the two. The neck should
be strong and muscular, to sustain the
weight of the head. In racing the neck
tires tirst 1t should not be too long, and
the hand should feel it firm and substantial
under the name, which should be thin and
silky, while the tail must he strong and
thlcK.
Thin name, thick tail. broad buttocks,
tender hide Is tue rule The first two AID
tue las two are most important requisites
in a thoroughbred | could name a very
expensive 2-year-old now in training which
will never he q great horse because he is
deficient in the third of these requirements.
The neck should merge gradually into the
shoulder showing no very marked Junction,
and its length should appear rather above
than below.
The general line of the leg should fall
straight TO the ground and the toe and the
point of the shoulder should be IN the same
Perpendicular, or nearly so. Standing In
front Of the colt, the outline, from the
withers to the bottom If the chest sh uld
appear like a hattenei oval, smaller at the
wlthere, and narrow, compared with that
of a horse used fer any other purpose but
racing II the chest is tCo wide, the fore
legs will be wide apayt and the space be-
tween the legs too great. This is the great
est fault a horse intended for racing can
have. | have seldom seen such a morse
that could race at all and never one that
CT ba hot aerat ba fgr
should be small and the feet close together,
an Inch or two apart. The chest should be
deep a deep and narrow chest is capable of
greater expansion in response to the action
OF the lungs than round one. The elbow
should nett er be turned in nor turned out,
Tor in the former case 1t comes in co Itact
with ths RIBS and impeles tJe action of the
limb, and in the lat Ell the feet are TUNED
IL, very serious fault and one which inva-
riably dlmlnishes the horses speed.
a SIDE VIEW OF IT.
Looking again at the horse sideways the
lower part OF the chest should rise slightly
toward TIE belly until about eight inches
from the elbow, when the outline should
fall little, the angle formed by these in
olines indicating the proper place for the
siddle girth. | should perhaps have mon
toned that horse who is calf kneed, that
is, where the outline OF the back Of the fore
leg is convex and the front concave, will be
weak limbed and likely to give way in
traini &. So will one TIED below the
knee" that is, smaller Immediately below
than he Is further down. As regards the fore
quarter, generally the more there is in front
of the saddle or the place where the saddle
hvouid sit, the better. The ribs thould
Poe long and curved, not fiat, aud
4. the last or back rib should not
fbe more than five inches from
othe hip joint. In stable parlance, horse
' o. Md al 70, IA hA a.I.
= rib and well ribbed up" This formation
denotes strength and good feeding qualities,
while Hat side, a short rib and increased
distance between the last rib and the hi ,
Joint indicate opposite qualities, but are less
objectioi able with FLIES tnan with colts.
Tie back should be short and tle loin
arched, which shows that it is well covered
with muscle. The hips should be vide
across and prominent, and the stifle turned
out, which gives freedom to the forward
action of the hind quarter Otherwise
tie play Of the joint would be interfered
with by the ribs. A horse with the stifie
turned ou5 stands with his hooks close to-
gether, and, other things being right is
generally fast.
HOOK CLOSE TO THE GROUND.
The second thighs, descending to the
hgnk, should be broad, viewed lateraly, as
should also be the hook, and the hook
point of the hook to the fetlock the leg
should fall straight and perpendicular. II
the posterior outline is convex that indi-
Gates curbs, if concave, weakness. The leg
TO the fetlock should he of even width, the
tendon being detached and clean as i'll the
foreleg. The fetlock, as well as the hook
joint, should be large and bony, a certain
appearance of coarseness in the latter being
preferred The pasterns and feet should
slope at au angle of forty-five degrees to
the ground, and the feet viii be smaller
aud shorter than the fore.
Standing behind The colt, the space be-
tween the Thighs should be well filled up
with muscle, the absence of which makes a
horse split up behind" as men of stable
mind say. Similarly the outside muscles OF
the thighs should swell or bulge out, in
fringing on what would otherwise be the
toplike symmetry of the hind quarter.
Sometimes at the junction of the hip bone
with the spine lump is seen which detracts
from the symmetry of the do sal line In
such cases the bone is highly developed.
and adds to the strength of the quarter,
such horses being generally fast, and this is
why, in horseman's slang it is called 1.-THE
bump Of speed" The hooks should
be close together, and the legs and feet
perhaps slightly turned out, but never
turned in. Looking ain at the colt side
WAYS the line from the ton of the Olarters