JUDGING THE HORSE 167 



movement, and flexing of knees and hocks. The next step 

 will be to require the horse to go and come at a gait faster 

 than a walk, the judge assuming the same positions as 

 before while the walking gait was being studied. Seeing the 

 horse at the walk and trot, or other rapid movement, will 

 enable him to draw a conclusion as to the merits of the gait. 

 As 20 points are credited to the action of the carriage horse 

 on the score card, it may be seen that this feature is highly 

 valued. Persons differ in their appreciation of action, and 

 some are naturally much better judges than others. How- 

 ever, if one will study the action from the three points of view 

 mentioned, *3ne will soon begin to see how horses differ in this 

 regard. 



The judgir% of the draft horse is conducted in the same 

 manner, in many respects, as with the carriage horse. The 

 general methods of study are the same. The purposes of 

 the drafter, however, are different, and one must have in 

 mind at all times draft size and conformation. The follow- 

 ing score card on page 168 is arranged for a study of the 

 horse of draft type. 



In the study of draft conformation, emphasis must be 

 placed on two features, weight and conformation. The size 

 must be large and massive, and the nearer the weight to 

 1800 or 2000 pounds, the truer will be the draft form. An 

 examination from any point of view will show this horse to 

 be deep and thick, both at the ends and in the middle, with a 

 compact, powerful body set on rather short legs. There are 

 some details the student should keep in mind in this exami- 

 nation. 



The head and neck will show considerable size, without 

 the delicate chiseling of head of the lighter horse. The neck 

 will be heavily muscled and moderately short. 



