FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — -PART VI. 363 



clasy quality and every part must have its proper relation to its neigh- 

 boring parts so that the whole may work harmoniously and well. So in 

 examining a horse it will be well lor us to pay special attention to the 

 feet and legs. 



To a novice in the business all legs look alike, to a certain degree, 

 but when we come to make a close investigation and compare parts 

 and relationships we find that there is a great diversity of type and 

 cpiality in different horses and different breeds. In every horse, how- 

 evei', there are necessary qualities of foot and limb irrespective of 

 breed. It is said, for instance, that "no foot no horse," but every 

 horse has feet and most of them have fairly good ones provided they 

 are set on good legs. It is the leg, then, that we shall first consider. 



It is a common saying that a horse should have "flat bone." This 

 is but partially correct, for there is no such thing as flat bone in the 

 legs of a horse. The leg bones are like the blade of a razor in shape 

 v/ith the back of the blade turned to the front and the thin edge to the 

 back. Such a bone presents a flat surface looked at from the side, 

 but cut through a section will have an eliptical shape. When the leg 

 appears to be round that fact is caused by lack of development 

 of back tendons and the presence of a surplus covering of coarse tis- 

 sue. What we are after is a '"flat leg." This is denoted by a clean, 

 practically tissueless bone from the back of which the tendons stand 

 out distinctly and so that they can be readily grasped in the hand. 

 From such a tendon and bone in the best draft horses of the Clydes- 

 dale breed and the improved English Shire the hair should grow as 

 a silky fringe. Such hair or "feather," as it is often called, should 

 not hide the bone and tendons nor surround the leg. Neither should 

 it be coarse and kinky, like the dead horse hair stuffing of a sofa, or 

 be so profuse in growth as to be plainly a nuisance. Hair of the right 

 quality is a sure evidence of a flat, compact "gun-metal" bone and as 

 a rule goes along with clean, well-marked tendons. Such bone is seen 

 in the best class of the breeds mentioned, but is by no means a spe- 

 cial possession of these breeds. It should be seen in every draft 

 horse whether accompanied by "feather" or not. 



When coarse, gummy, kinky hair is seen about the legs of a draft 

 horse and its presence can not be successfully explained by the lack 

 of care of the owner, look out! The entire animal is apt to correspond 

 in coarseness to that of the hair. He is likely to be sluggish, dull, 

 gross, unimpressive as a breeder and apt to beget progeny prone to 

 grease and other kindred evils and ailments. Given to a clean bone 

 and well developed tendon see to it that there is enough of such bone 

 in comparison with the weight of the superimposed body. See that 

 the joints are large, clean and properly set. The knees should be 

 wide and ample and the hocks clear of all excrescences, puffs, fillings 

 and adipose tissue. 



When we find a clean leg and good joints the spring of the pas- 

 terns should be the next consideration, for no matter how nice may 

 be the quality of the bone and tendons these good qualities are largely 

 destroyed by a steep pastern which makes the action stilty, stiff and 



