STUD BOOK POINTS 419 



low ; the ribs springing from it, round, coupled up close to the 

 hips which should be wide ; and the loins wide and muscular. 

 Carefully avoid short, flat ribs (a narrow and shallow-back- 

 ribbed horse is generally irritable and tender), but rather 

 seek to get deep, round ribs and body ; the animal has then 

 what the ' yokels ' call a good cupboard, which means con- 

 stitution a most essential point in a cart-horse. Wide or 

 ragged hips are a great sign of power ; the quarters long 

 and powerful, full of muscle, and deep. The tail may be a 

 trifle drooping if set on too high, which many think a deal 

 of, it is at the expense of the thigh, which is then split up, 

 and thus loses muscle and power. The dock should be 

 thick, stiff, and strong ; it is indicative of power and 

 endurance. 



Height. " The mare should be long, low, and lusty ; from 

 15.2 to 1 6 hands high; short in the leg, and should measure 

 from point of shoulder to full extent of thigh longer than she 

 is high, short in her back, and long in her sides, and be as 

 deep from wither to elbow as from elbow to ground. A 

 horse thus made will deceive the eye as to its height, and it 

 is points in its favour if it appears smaller and lower than it 

 really is : this is a sure proof of symmetrical form. The 

 stallion should be at least a hand higher than the mare, and 

 his points of excellence similar ; but his form should be more 

 massive, and, if possible, more compact, his whole appearance 

 masculine, robust, and indicating the possession of great 

 power and vigour in a comparatively small compass, with 

 rather a coarse than effeminate look about him. A cart- 

 horse cannot be a really good one without the following 

 cardinal points : good feet, good legs, good walking action, 

 and a robust constitution." [And it might also be added, 

 "size, soundness, and substance," from the heading on 

 Forshaw's stud card.] 



Colour. " A good horse cannot be a bad colour. It is 

 entirely a matter of fancy ; blacks, bays, and browns are the 

 prevailing colour of the Shire horse, and the best selling, 

 though there are many chestnuts, roans, and greys. Roan 

 is a favourite colour with some of the large London draymen 

 as an indication of a hardy constitution. A horse of any 

 colour with a few silver hairs is generally hardy. The most 

 valuable colour is probably the dark brown, with a tan 

 muzzle and black legs ; but whatever colour is the fancy, it 

 should always be a hard, not a faint one, avoiding by all 

 means light, faint-coloured hairs on the legs and flanks. A 

 very large proportion of our horses have white legs ; much 

 white is objectionable in fact, many foreign breeders will not 



