English Foxhounds
The English Foxhound - History of the Breed - By Emily Latimer Osborne
especially at the points. They must be well sloped and the true arm between the front and the elbow must be long and muscular, but free from fat or lumber. Chest and Back Ribs -The chest should girth over 31 inches in a 24-inch hound, and the back ribs must be very deep. The Back and Loin must both be very muscular, running into each other without any contraction between them. The cou- ples must be wide, even to raggedness, and the top line of the back should be absolute- ly level. The Stern well set on and carried gaily but not in any case curved over the back like a squirrel’s tail. The end should taper to a point and there should be a fringe of hair below. The Hindquarters or propellers are required to be very strong, and as endurance is of even greater consequence than speed, straight stifles are preferred to those much bent as in a Greyhound. Elbows set quite straight, and neither turned in or out are a sine qua non . They must be well let down by means of the long true arm above mentioned. Legs and Feet. -Every Master of Foxhounds insists on legs as straight as a post, and as strong; size of bone at the ankle being especially regarded as impor- tant. The desire for straightness had a ten- dency to produce knuckling-over, which at one time was countenanced, but in recent years this defect has been eradicated by careful breeding and intelligent adjudica- tion, and one sees very little of this trouble in the best modern Foxhounds. The bone cannot be too large, and the feet in all cases should be round and catlike, with well-developed knuckles and strong horn, which last is of the greatest importance. The Color and Coat are not regard- ed as very important, so long as the former is a “good hound color,” and
the latter is short, dense, hard and glossy. Hound colors are black, tan and white, or any combination of these three, also the various “pies” compounded of white and the color of the hare and badger, or yellow, or tan. The Symmetry of the foxhound is of the greatest importance, and what is known as “quality” is highly regarded by all good judges.
SHOULDERS
Points Head
1. Long and well muscled 2. No fat 3. Well sloped
5
Neck
10 10 10 15 10
Shoulders
Chest and back ribs
CHEST AND BACK RIBS 1. Circumference of 31 inches (for a 24 inch hound)
Back and loin Hindquarters
Elbows
5
2. Deep back ribs 3. Not well sprung
Legs and feet
20
Stern
5 5
Symmetry
BACK AND LOIN
----- Total
1. Absolutely level top line 2. Very muscular 3. Almost level underline 4. Stern is never over the back 5. No slope to the croup
100
HEAD 1. Substantial without heaviness 2. Moderate stop 3. Large nostrils 4. Ears close to the head and not over- ly long POINTS OF THE ENGLISH FOXHOUND
HIND QUARTERS 1. Very strong
2. Straight stifles are preferred
ELBOWS
1. Very straight, neither turned in or
NECK
out
1. Long and clean 2. No throatiness 3. 10 inches from cranium to shoulder (for a 24 inch hound)
1. Well let down
LEGS AND FEET 1. Legs straight as posts and as strong 2. No dainty ankles 3. Feet should be round and catlike 4. Substantial bone COAT AND COLOR There is not a color preference-black, white, tan, pieds or any combination Coat should be hard and glossy
SYMMETRY
1. Overall symmetry is very
important
198 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE • F EBRUARY 2011
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