Excerpt from The Points of the Horse: A Familiar Treatise on Equine Conformation In the attempt to conform to the requirements of truth, I have, as far as practicable, relied on photography for illustration. This art not alone gives exact representations with marvellous minuteness of detail, but has completed the solution (begun by Professor Marey) of the once vexed question of the action of the horse's limbs during the various forms of movement, and has accordingly afforded us, in our present study, data which are as instructive as they are reliable. As I have written this book for non-scientific readers, as well as for those who desire to thoroughly master the subject; I have placed in small print the few chapters which I have devoted to the anatomical and mechanical details which were necessary to render the work complete. A perusal of the large print chapters will give a good general view of the practical side of the subject, and, in most cases, the reasons for the opinions advanced. The information contained in the small print ones is, however, indispensable for the full comprehension of all the principles discussed, and as it is of a very elementary character, I trust it will not be neglected. We must here remember that the horse is a living machine, the capabilities of which cannot be accurately gauged, without a knowledge of its construction, and of the principles of its working. Having treated on Sowea'ness and Age of Horses in another book, I have omitted these subjects entirely from the present one. I must, however, state that as they are directly connected with the question of a horse standing work, it is impossible to judge his capabilities with a near approach to correctness, Without a knowledge of veterinary science. Besides the new features in this book to which I have already drawn notice, I may mention that I have tried to arrive at a knowledge of the respective points of speed and strength in the horse, by examining the conformation of other animals that are distinguished by the possession of one or other of these gifts in a high state of perfection. Also, I have made a more exhaustive inquiry into the nature of the paces and of the leap of the horse than has previously been attempted; my object being to obtain from it exact deduc tions as to the best kind of conformation for various forms of work. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.