HEAVY HORSES 183 



those of a Hack, they do not so well adapt themselves to the purposes 

 of draught, since they fail to fit the collar as is desired. The girth of the 

 Shire horse is, of course, enormous, but not unnecessarily so when it is 

 remembered that a plentiful supply of heart and lung room is desirable 

 in the case of most animals, and in none more so than in those 

 which are called upon to exercise their highest powers of draught and 

 to undergo long and continuous exertion. The ribs consequently should 

 be well sprung, and the loins wide and powerful, the back being short 

 and level, whilst the quarters must be long, of great strength, and as 

 muscular as possible. The tail should be well set up; when low down 

 it gives the quarters a drooping character, and spoils the top-line. The 

 fore-legs, which are a most important item in any draught-] lorse, should 

 be short, straight, and well set apart. The arms should be wide and 

 muscular, and join on to big bold knees; while the legs below should be 

 flat and clean, and the outline of the sinews clearly marked, the latter 

 point being a very essential one to secure. Strength of pasterns is a 

 most desirable quality, but these parts are most objectionable when 

 unduly long or unduly short. There is another point to be considered 

 in connection with the fore-legs, and that is in regard to their position 

 when compared with the body of the horse. They should be nicely set 

 under him, squarely and truly, so as to receive and support the full 

 weight of his frame as evenly as possible, since if out of the plumb-line 

 the strength of the fore-legs will be materially diminished. Scarcely of 

 less importance are the hind-legs, as upon the formation of these limbs 

 depends much of the ability to start away with and keep in motion a 

 heavy load, whilst in backing they are indispensable. They should be 

 rather inclined to be straight, a decided bend being a bad fault in a 

 draught-horse. The hocks require to be broad in front and deep behind, 

 and, of course, perfectly clean and free from any symptoms of weakness 

 or disease. Below the hock the canons should be heavy in bone, showing 

 a girth of at least 1 inch more than the corresponding part below the 

 knee. The joints should be large, and free from structural defect, else 

 the value and utility of the horse will be diminished. Both the fore- 

 and hind-legs should be plentifully supplied with long silky hair, ex- 

 tending a considerable way upwards from the ground in the direction of 

 the knees and hocks, and finer in quality in mares than horses. If this 

 is coarse in quality or curly it is a fault. Full allusion has already been 

 made to the question of the " feather ", and it only remains to say that 

 without it in profusion neither sires nor dams are qualified for prizes 

 or patronage. Next comes the all-important question of feet, than which 

 none is deserving of greater consideration on the part of breeders and 



