SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VII. 521 



Shoulder. — A majority of poorly formed draft horses have too steep 

 shoulders. The proper type is moderately sloping and sufficiently so to 

 afford a comfortable and secure bed for the collar. Straight or rather 

 upright shoulders detract from easy action of fore legs and are usually 

 associated with upright pasterns. Should be smoothly and deeply covered 

 with muscle, show no prominent angularities, protuberances, sores or 

 tumors, and fit snugly into neck and body. Withers should be fairly high, 

 free from sores or discharging sinuses (pipes). 



Arm. — The arm is formed of the humerus and extends from point of 

 shoulder to elbow joint. It should be strong, short, well-clad with 

 muscles, thrown back sufficiently to bring the leg into proper place to 

 support weight of fore quarters. Elbows should be prominent, strong, 

 clean and not carried too close or too far from sides. 



Forearm. — This portion of the body, together with the gaskin or second 

 thigh of the hind leg. cannot well be fattened. Muscles and bones give 

 these parts their size, width and depth. The forearm should be long, 

 broad, wide, muscles prominent above, balance of part clean and free from 

 meatiness. 



Knees. — The joints cannot well be too large and strongly developed 

 in each bone entering into their composition, so long as they are free 

 from puffs, meatiness, bony growth or other unsoundnesses. Knees should 

 be wide, deep straight, strong, clean, properly set and not tied in wnder 

 joint. Sprung knees are objectionable as are the reverse, known as "calf 

 knees." Splints on sides of cannon bone, close up to the knee, are liable 

 to cause lameness and are to be considered dangerous and objectionable. 



Cannons. — These bones extend from knee to fetlock joint in fore and 

 hock to fetlock in hind legs and should be large in size, short, clean, wide, 

 fiat-appearing, free from meatiness and puffs, tendons very prominent at 

 sides and behind. "Feather," if present, should be fine, silky, and 

 springing from rear part only. Such hair indicates fine quality of dense 

 bone and is usually associated with good development of strong tendons. 

 Coarse, kinky hair, growing from rear and sides of the cannons, indicates 

 coarse skin and spongy bone, gives the legs a round appearance and is 

 indicative of sluggish temperament and susceptibility to grease, etc. 



Fetlocks.— What has been said about "feather" applies most partic- 

 ularly to this joint which should be strong, wide, deep straight, free from 

 pufts, interfering sores or callouses, not knuckling forward or set too far 

 back. 



Pasterns. — Formed of the long pastern bone (os suffraginis) extending 

 from fetlock to hoof-head (coronet) should be strong, wide and moder- 

 ately sloping; not short, upright and ictilty looking. The average draft 

 horse inclines to steepuess of pastern and consequent stubbiness in gait. 

 Very long, weak pasterns that bring the back of the fetlocks too near the 

 ground, are objectionable as they cause strain upon the tendons and 

 detract from ability to handle heavy loads. Too short, distinctly upright, 

 pasterns are even more objectionable. They prevent springy, elastic 

 action of the feet and by immediately transferring concussion from the 

 ground to the foot and bony column superimopsed thereon jar the parts 



