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Horse Pictures - Fore-legs

Antique pictures of horses

Taken from:

The Beauties and Defects in the Figure of the Horse

Delineated in a Series of Coloured Plates

by H. Alken

Published in London by S. and J. Fuller at the Temple of Fancy, 34 Rathbone Place - 1816

Notes accompanying this plate

Figure 1 - Is a fore-leg formed for speed, and perhaps action: but not calculated for permanency. The plate of the knee being much lower than it ought to be, the horse must be considered as a dangerous road animal.

Figure 2 - Is formed to do much work and last long at it.

Figure 3 - Is good in substance, but rather too round, and too straight.

Figure 4 - Is a pair of legs well formed for strength and action.

Figure 5 - Displays the front view of legs badly formed, being, what the dealers call, made like a dancing-master ought to be: but still, if the toe, or point of the hoof deviate at all from the straight line, it should be this way, as the contrary is extremely dangerous on the road, and indeed any where else.

Figure 6 - A leg made for neither speed nor power, being flat and poor in the arm, round and weak in the leg, thin and long in the pastern and large in the hoof.

Figure 7 - A pair of legs worse than Figure 5, being weak, badly formed, and hardly good for anything.

Figure 8 - This appearance is seldom formed by Nature: it is occasioned by hard work, straining &c.

The picture above is an illustrated plate from the 1816 publication, the inside title page of which is reproduced here along with the introduction to the book

First page of the book"By a detailed series of graphic and descriptive illustrations, it is the intention of the Author of this Work to show the good and bad points in that most useful and noble animal the Horse. He has adopted the mode of detaching various parts of the subject, because, by comparison of the distinct appearances, the general impression upon the memory of the reader is much likely to be much stronger than could result from the study of any treatise of a less abstracted nature; to understand which, a knowledge of anatomy, or a constant reference to some scientific work is indispensable.

This Publication is also intended as a Book of Lessons for such young Artists as are inclined to pursue the study of the Horse in all the different points of his figure and action.

There is no animal whose countenance combines such correct and powerful expressions of character. The physiognomy of the Horse, therefore, illustrating the different passions to which he is subject, as well as the natural bias of his temper and disposition, is an important branch of study to gentleman of the turf, and to young purchasers; for it is generally considered, that to timid riders and drivers, the temper of the beast is of more consequence than any bodily blemish.

In this point of view, therefore, the Author flatters himself that his Work will be found useful; and as his remarks are the result of the most attentive observation during many years, entirely devoted to the pleasures of the field, he trusts that the general principles which he has laid down, as well with respect to power, strength, and the various points of action as to the physiognomical character and figure of the horse, will be found fairly elucidated in the following series."

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