JUDGING THE HORSE 159 



with a light type of trotter. The American Saddle horse is 

 also in this class, for he has many of the characteristics of 

 form of the carriage horse. In order to cause no confusion, 

 a score card for carriage horses is given on page 160. There 

 will be no difficulty in most communities in finding horses 

 of this type which may be used for score-card practice. Tb's 

 score card is the style commonly in use, containing a blanK 

 column in which the student as judge may write his own 

 score, with another column in which the score of the 

 instructor may be written for comparison. 



The height of the carriage horse may vary, but 16 

 hands is a good standard, with 1100 to 1200 pounds for 

 weight. 



The general appearance of the carriage horse can best 

 be studied by standing off some distance, such as ten feet 

 or more, and making an inspection which will take in the 

 entire form, the quality, and disposition. One should not be 

 too close to the animal for this first examination. At a 

 distance one also gets an impression of character, as shown 

 by the head and neck, that cannot be so easily noticed 

 otherwise. 



The head and neck of the carriage horse should show 

 plenty of intelligence, style, and alertness. Refinement of 

 head and ears is important, and the neck should have length 

 and not be coarse. A straight line along the top of the neck, 

 or a slight crest with the males, is looked upon with favor. 

 A thin, ewe neck, one that is depressed on top, is undesirable, 

 and is unpopular among buyers. 



The fore quarters of the carriage horse should show a 

 smooth, well laid-in, yet muscular shoulder. While great 

 strength is not essential, a wide, strong, muscular arm, and 

 long, wide-topped forearm are favored. What is called a 

 clean, smooth, flat bone is a very important feature. Clean- 



