THE POINTS OF THE HORSE 167 



and somewhat flat, an important feature of a strong confor- 

 mation. It is especially desirable that the bone below the 

 knee be wide, and but slightly cut under at the knee. 



The fetlock joint connects with the lower end of the 

 cannon bone. This joint should be straight, deep through, 

 and blend neatly and smoothly with the pastern below. 



The pastern is in the main a combination of two short 

 bones, and should stand at an incline, because it plays an 

 important part in breaking the concussion which takes place 

 when the horse is in motion. The shorter and more upright 

 the pastern the more liable is the horse to have bone diseases 

 and a hard gait. Carriage horses should have the pastern 

 show a slope of about 45 degrees. Drafters are usually 

 steeper of pastern than the light horse and consequently 

 are often somewhat clumsy of gait. The pastern is sometimes 

 too long, and lacks the strength to support the body correctly. 



The foot consists of several parts. The hoof proper is a 

 very tough, horny bone, and in form should be rather 

 round, although the hind foot is never as round as the one in 

 front. The top of the hoof should not be narrow and small, 

 but should have some fullness compared with the lower part. 

 The back part of the hoof makes a sudden turn forward 

 underneath, forming a V-shaped portion known as the frog. 

 This frog is somewhat elastic, and acts as a buffer on the 

 surface of the ground, which under natural conditions it 

 should just touch. The frog should never be pared by the 

 blacksmith, excepting to remove tag ends or parts grown 

 out of shape. A good frog saves the foot hard punishment 

 on the road. The sole of the foot is the part between the 

 outer wall of the hoof and the frog. This part is slightly 

 concave or arched. The entire back part of the hoof is 

 called the heel, and this should be neither low nor high, hav- 

 ing only enough height above the standing surface to give 

 the foot strength and protection. The heel should have 

 about the same slope as the front part of the hoof, which is 



