Rural School Leaflet. 



1077 



has short legs, a heavy body, a short, thick neck, broad, deep chest and 

 shoulders, strong hocks, and rather large joints and feet. With the draft 

 type, weight is one of the most important considerations, for a true draft 

 horse must be heavy as compared with the coach or driving horse. A 

 draft horse in fair condition may weigh anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 

 or more pounds. The greater the weight, as a rule, the more efficient 

 the draft horse will be^ If you will watch the draft horse as he draws a 

 heavy load, it will become very evident that the heavy horse in harness 

 brings greater power into the collar than does the light one. 



There are several different breeds of draft horses. The Percherons 

 Belgians, Clydesdales, and English Shires are probably the most familiar. 

 The Percherons 

 came from 

 France, and at 

 first they were 

 gray. Now the 

 blacks are in the 

 most favor. The 

 Belgians, usually 

 bay, came from 

 Belgium. The 

 Shires, common- 

 ly bay, brown, 

 or sorrel, came 

 from England. 

 The Clydesdales, 

 quite similar in 

 appearance to 

 the Shires, but 

 often smaller 

 and more active, came from Scotland. 



The driving horse has a longer and more graceful neck, a narrower 

 chest, a longer body, and longer legs than the draft horse. In the driving 

 type, weight is not so important as in the draft type. Speed and endur- 

 ance seem to be the principal points sought in the roadster or driver, and 

 less uniformity is found in this type than in the draft or coach type. The 

 driving horse varies widely in height, weight and conformation. In con- 

 formation this type tends to be angular, the muscles and joints showing 

 prominence, with the ribs more or less noticeable. There is relatively 

 less body and more legs, a thinner neck with muscularity at the croup 

 and quarters. The American trotter or pacer is the common type used 



Fig. 26. — A driving horse 



