612 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



behind should be straight, the feet picked up smartly, hocks well- 

 flexed, and the feet of both fore and hind legs at each step placed 

 immediately in front of the former jjosition. 



Style is of the highest importance, and this is generally indicated 

 by the way in which he carries his head, the general appearances 

 of smartness, of good disposition and nerve. 



Then we have the point of manners. No horse is going to sell 

 well in any of these classes that is not well-mannered, or shows 

 that he has had no education. I do not mean by that that he should 

 lack spirit, because he must have spirit, but he should have been 

 taught how to behave himself in the case of emergency. This is 

 especially true in the cases of horses that are sold for city use. A 

 great many horses are very sharply discriminated against on this 

 point. 



The last point is that of condition. You know, of course, that if 

 you send a steer to market that is not fat you are not going to get 

 as much for him as you would if he was fat. To a certain extent 

 the same thing is true of horses. It is not so true of light horses 

 as much as with drafters, but a horse out of condition will not sell 

 within twenty-five per cent, of what he might sell for if he was in 

 good condition. He should not be over-fed or over-fat, but he should 

 have meat enough to cover his bones and make him look well-fed 

 and smooth. 



Taking up the classes in greater detail, let us begin with the 

 roadster. The roadster class in size should be up to about sixteen 

 hands, although a great many very good roadsters or drivers are 

 sold that are much lower than that, down as low as fifteen hands. 

 The sixteen-hand horse, other things considered and being equal, 

 generally will sell better than the small horse. A sixteen-hand 

 roadster should not weigh over 1,150 pounds. Roadsters have an 

 angular and rangy appearance. The speed of the roadster should be 

 about ten to fourteen miles an hour, but the more you can get the 

 better, because speed adds materially to the value of a horse pro- 

 vided he has good conformation and true action. Condition is not as 

 essential in the roadster class as it is in some other types — the car- 

 riage class is more important as far as condition is concerned of any 

 of these light classes. There is not a great deal required in the 

 way of showy action in this class. The horse must have a straight 

 line trot, a frictionlcss trot; that is, he must move smoothly. There 

 must not be any shakiness in his gait. The joints must work 

 smoothly. You know what is said of the late Belle Hamlin. She 

 seemed to fly like a bird when she moved, and some authorities 

 regarded her action as one of the greatest models of the smooth, 

 frictionless trot. Then the roadster must have the ability to extend 

 himself, that is, the gait or stride must be long and not short or 

 choppy or cut up. In the pacer, of course, the action is different, 

 but the same principle of straightness and lack of friction applies. 



The walk is a point that breeders of horses have a tendency to 

 neglect. You cannot trot a horse all the time if you are going to 

 use vour animal on the road. Therefore, vou want one that has a 

 rapid walk, and that can carsy you along at a good pace when you 

 do not feel like urging him into the trot. The walk should be regu- 

 lar and balanced, the steps taken in regular order, and it should be 

 rapid and quick with a good long stride. 



