No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 591 



The distance from the rear of the shoulder blade and the point of 

 the hips should be in a well coupled horse the length of the horse's 

 head, while the length of the croup is about two inches less. Draft 

 horses, which have been worked for some years, will have the back 

 somewhat greater because of the straightening of the shoulder, in- 

 cident to the pressure of the collar. It may be here noted that the 

 reason for a stout back lies in the fact that it is a means by which 

 the propelling power of the hind members is conveyed to the collar. 

 If the back were a rubber tube, it would collapse. No more pro- 

 pel-ling power can be exerted by the hind members than the back is 

 capable of convej-ing. This stoutness of back and this power of con- 

 veying force, be it noted, should come as far as possible through the 

 shortness, width, and thickness of loin and through the width and 

 muscles of the back, rather than through the shortness of the back 

 proper. That is to saj^ the chest, which the back proper bounds, 

 should not be unduly shortened lest the lung and heart power be 

 reduced. Well sprung ribs extended well back, making the distance 

 from the point of the shoulder to the last rib long, is desirable, be- 

 cause this is the boundary of such vital organs. 



In the draft horse, some concessions, to be sure, may be made for 

 the purpose of increased strength. In the trotting horse, having 

 only a bicycle sulky to pull, great heart and lung power is essen- 

 tial; greater speed at the trot can be obtained, also, by greater 

 length between fore and hind feet, as compared to the running horse, 

 so that in trotting horses, long, weak backs are often found. The 

 bicycle sulky has been the means of increasing the speed because it 

 has reduced the power required, but has resulted in breeding the 

 trotter farther away from utilitarian purposes. 



The stoutest croup is a sloping or vertically inclined one, and 

 shortness is no special detriment for force, provided the muscles 

 are large. The long, horizontal croup gives the most speed and 

 best action; because the muscles are longer; the hind members are 

 longer in proportion to the height of the horse, and because the pro 

 pulsion is more nearly in the direction in which the horse is going. 

 Inasmuch as the market demands considerable action and some 

 speed, even in its heaviest types, the draft horse with a long, hori- 

 zontal croup brings the most money, although this conformation 

 causes loss of power. 



Among the other lengths of a horse which are the length of a 

 horse's head may be mentioned : 



(1) Length of the neck from the poll to the center of the insertion 



at the shoulder. 



(2) From the back to the abdomen. 



(3) From the top of the withers to the point of the arm. 



(4) From the superior fold of the stifle-joint to the point of the 



hock. 



(5) From the point of the hock to the ground. 



It may be useful to know, also, that the width of the head from 

 the forehead to the angle of the jaw and the width of the neck at 

 the junction of the head, should both be the same and be one-half 

 the length of the horse's head. 



The length of the shoulder is not, in itself an important considera- 

 tion for greater strength. 



