124 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



the knowledge of a subject which I might almost say is invaluable to the stock; 

 raiser, for they arc among the main features by which we judge an animal's 

 parts. I dare say many of you have heard the connoisseur in horse flesh sayr. 

 "I like to judge a horse when he's middling low in condition," and if asked 

 why, will probably reply: " Because I can tell better Avhat he is made of." As 

 this must refer largely to the muscles, then will it not be advantageous for us 

 to train ourselves as to their appearance, as well as to know something about 

 their structure and movements beneath the skin? Now if the animal is high 

 in condition — fat, as we generally say — their outline will be hidden to such an 

 extent that we cannot see them plainly. The reason, then, why a good judge 

 prefers to examine a lean horse is obvious. Again the framework upon which 

 the organs are built plays an in)portant part in the make-up of the creature^ 

 and we learn by observation what style of conformation is best adapted to our 

 wants, we learn further wliafc kind of joints are most subject to those frequent 

 " bug-bears," ring-bone, spavin, and the like. Passing down the leg we at 

 length come to that very important and interesting part, the foot, whose 

 relation to agriculture, or indeed any other calling in which horse-flesh is con- 

 cerned, is most intimate, for the diseases of it are not only numerous, but they 

 are sometimes very serious, even causing the death of the animal. I have 

 known several instances where animals have died from picking up a nail, and 

 lock-jaw is not at all an uncommon result of the same accident. Indeed, of 

 such importance is the shape and durability of the foot, that I presume nearly 

 every one here has heard that threadbare expression, "No foot, no horse;"' 

 but who this happy thought first occurred to I am unable to say. It no doubt 

 originated many hundreds of years ago when people did their traveling upon 

 horse back, and not as we do, in Pullman cars and floating palaces. At this 

 time the pack-horse, being required for long journeys, if he had not a 

 ■well-shaped, tough hoof, would in a short time become so foot sore that 

 he would be unable to proceed on his journey; so the equestrian finding that 

 his horse's foot was worn out, gone as it were, might he not appropriately 

 exclaim: "No foot, no horse," and have to come down to shank's mare for the 

 rest of the trip. And even to-day I hear men say, " I'll never have another 

 flat-footed horse," while their neighbors will exclaim, perhaps with increased 

 emphasism, "I've owned the last deep-walled horse I'll ever own." We learn 

 why these features are objectionable or the reverse, in the study of that part of 

 anatomy called pedology, or the science which treats of the foot. 



Passing from this to the deeper seated structures we study the functions and 

 general appearances of the internal organs. By knowing something of their 

 peculiarities we are able to judge to some extent of the merits of an an'mal. 

 Take the chest, for instance, we know from experience, other things being 

 equal, that the deep chested horse is better adapted for speed than the one 

 which is broad and somewhat rounder. And why is this so? But to answer 

 this we have to go to the dissecting room, and. there we will find upon examina- 

 tion that the breathing surface of the lungs is increased in the deep chest 

 without expense to the graceful movements of the forelegs, as it would be, were 

 they spread apart by a broad chest. It is a singular fact that the shape of the 

 chest has a somewhat close relation to the kind of work nature has intended 

 the animal to perform. For a familiar example of this we have only to com- 

 pare the chest of the greyhound to that of his more surly neighbor, the bulldog. 

 Then again, by being familiar with the various movements of the circulations,, 

 we are enabled to judge of the health of an animal. By careful study of the 

 appearance of the skin and its numerous glands we can also judge in many in- 



