The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-29
BEAUTY OF THE HORSE.
Some Admiring Remarks on Mans In
memorial Friend.

Some Admirfng hem1rkD On aAAn LII
memorial Friend.
If we would get at the secret OF the
fascinating personality Of the weli-bred
horse we must recall the axiom that
"the curved line is the line of beauty"
and then consider the anatomy OF the
horse in detail. All his leading bones
are set obliquely, not at right angles.
His head is set on with subtle curve OF
the last few vertebrae of the neck, which
at the shoulders takes another subtle
curve before they become the dorsai
vertebrae, or backbone, which end, IN
their turn, with another curve. forming
the tail. His shoulders slope back
more than those of other quadrupeds,
the scapula, or shoulder blade, being
oblique to the humerour, which in Its
turn is oblique to the radius, or upper
part of the foreleg. Again, in the hind
quarters the haunch is set obliquely to
the true thigh; the thigh, at the stif1
Joint, to the upper bone of the hind leg,
which at the hook makes another angle.
The fore and hind quarters form such
large portion of the entire length that
horse, though a lengthy animal from
the front of the chest to the back of the
haunch, is comparatively very short IN
the actual back, or saddle place" Then
his hooks are much bent, and his pas
tern Joints are rather long, and again
are set at an angle, succeeded by
slightly different angle in the firm but
expanding hoof, thus completing the
beautiful mechanism which preserves
the limbs from jar and insures elastic
ity In every part of the animal destined
to carry weight and undergo rapid and
continued exertion-a combination not
existing in any other quadruped to any
thing like the same degree. and fitting
him precisely for the purpose for whicr
he was given to man.
Tho well-shaped, delicate ears OF the
horse ere capable of being moved sep
arately in every direction, and every
movements IS full of meaning and 10
sympathy with the eye. The eye Is
prominent, full and large, and it Ia
placed laterally, so that he can see BE-
hind him without turning his head, his
heels being his principal weapon OF de.
fense. His nostrils are large, open and
flexible, and his lips fieshy. though
thin and exquisitely mobile and sensi'
tive. The large. open nostril is essen
tiaI to him. as q horse breathes solely
and entirely through it, being phys
ically incapable of breathing through
his mouth because a valve in the throat
actually precludes him from doing so
Hence the mouth of q horse without
bride in it is opened only for purposes
of eating or biting. but never from e1'
element or exhaustion, like that OF
most other quadreupeds. except the
deer species. The lips are, perhaps,
even more characteristics Of the horse.
They are his hands as we'll as part Of
his mouth. and the horse and others Of
his family use them IN this way. Every
horsenan who has observed his pet
horse picking up small particles Oh
food from the palm OF his hand must
have noticed the extrene mobility and
deiicacy Of touch with which the lips
are endowed.
Truly, the horse Is gracerui aninni
by nature, and the breeders and train
ers' arts are steadily making hin
more lovely creature TO look upon We
are hearing IL said that the advent Of
electric power and rs spplicaticn TO al
the purposes Of travel are going to atol-
Ssh the horse by destroying its utility
Perhaps so. as mere beast Of burden
But as luxury TO TIE eye and q means
Of locorlotion gratifying to all Aht
senses, the horse win surely surfrs
and become steadily more beautiful
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