Now we move on to the silhouette of a large, dual sight and scent hound from Sub-Sahara Africa, the Rhodesian Ridgeback. This hound’s shape and contours has experienced some controversy as of late with some fanciers and judges commenting that the breed is getting too long in body. These people are disinclined towards an overly long Ridgeback trunk as they feel the hound loses endurance and athleticism. The reasoning is that the hound gains speed with length but will not wear well, he will not go the distance. This certainly could be a concern as the ridgeback blueprint envisaged a hound who is designed for great endurance, who tracked and held lions at bay. Known since the late 1800s as the “Lion Dog” he has a natural tendency to track and bay but they do not kill lions. They have enormous courage and protective instincts and were very successful because of their unique fearless quality which seems to have been instilled in them from their ancestors, the original Khoi dogs from the late 1600s who also passed on the distinctive ridge — the trademark of today’s breed. Despite these valid concerns over losing endurance, the Ridgebacks that appear too long in body are most likely excessively long in the loin. This is usually accompanied by short-ribbed back cages. Many ridgeback fanciers misinterpret the breed standard statement “…capable of great endurance with a fair (good) amount of speed” producing specimens who are long loined and many tend to be steep in the thorax. As discussed previously in Part One, the underline is as equally important as the topline to sighthounds. These hunting hounds must have ribs extending well-back. Short sternums and short-ribbing, usually result in a sharp cutup to the belly which not only is unattractive but is debilitating. A steep thorax and its shortcomings weaken, not empower, these hunters, as the short-ribbed back and slab-sided hounds lose area for sizable heart and great lung capacity, which diminishes stamina. Above all, a long rib cage is armor, shielding the hounds internal organs from harm as well as providing area volume for a strongly muscled diaphragm affecting respiration. In addition, a long loin will prevent this hound from turning quickly to dodge and maneuver, avoiding slashing claws or being stampeded. To conclude, a correctly coupled ridgeback is not long-loined, which is common in light-framed racing hounds and ideal for incredibly fast speed, albeit short distances. The ridgeback hound trunk is slightly longer than tall requiring ? thorax and ? loin. As far as the topline, it begins over the occiput flowing down over an elegant crest of neck in one smooth sleek line. It travels over the withers onto a firm, level back with a muscular loin slightly arched. In this context, I invited Mrs. Alicia Hanna of Kimani Rhodesian Ridgebacks to discuss this topic. Mrs. Hanna has extensive experience having established Kimani Rhodesian Ridgebacks in 1963 and has since traveled to South Africa and abroad studying, judging and lecturing on the breed. “The topline is not a static, straight line, but rather a blend of curves and a gradual melding of many lines. It should flow kinetically, from the arch of the neck to the rise of the withers, past that very slight indentation at the back of the withers, and over the back proper, to the correct slope of the croup. Toplines are not tabletops. Still some breeders and judges equate a straight back with a strong dog, forgetting that dogs built for a degree of speed, and especially those with a sighthound heritage require a flexible, supple back. This line is key to defining type. Selecting for rigidity between the point of the shoulder and the point of the hip, as many judges mistakenly do, is actually an impediment to functionality. You need only look to the world’s fastest mammal for confirmation of this: There is not a cheetah in the world with a flat, short back. This is not to say that roached or sway backs are correct on a Ridgeback. A slack back results from a midsection that is too long – specifically, an overly long loin without sufficient angles of the shoulder and pelvis to give it support. The current thinking voiced by many judges is that the Rhodesian Ridgeback should be faulted if the dog appears long. The only length which should be faulted is excessive length of loin. Misperceptions negatively affect dog types, especially in this instance when the Rhodesian Ridgeback Standard requires the dog to be ‘slightly longer than tall,’ and ‘capable of great endurance.’ Ultimately, it is the most ground covered with the least amount of wasted effort that gives endurance to the running dog.”
FIgure 6 • Ridgeback in gait Photo by Winning Image, Tom Weigand
It is my sincere desire, as well as my contributors, to cultivate knowledge in the uninitiated and to inspire old-hands who are fanciers or judges of our hound breeds. I hope that you have enjoyed and appreciated the contributions of the many breed authorities included in this learning or in some cases, refresher experience. Sometimes we all need a refresher course in breed anatomy to reinvigorate our spirits and enthusiasm to go out and do the best we can in our sport. It is inevitable and unavoidable that we as humans learn everyday. We all process new information, however the dissimilarities between us is how we use and apply this information, for better or for worse. Speaking for all of us who have contributed here, it is our sincerest hope that our efforts will make a difference.
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