TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 393 



have no ribs below them. The loin, like the back, should be 

 short, broad, and heavily muscled. 



Hips. Beginning with the hips and continuing through- 

 out the hindquarters, we are dealing with the location of those 

 muscles which furnish power for draft, hence we want an ap- 

 pearance of great massiveness everywhere. It used to be thought 

 that the draft horse did his work simply by falling against the 

 collar, thus bringing his weight to bear, and consequently that 

 his forequarters ought to be as heavy as possible; it was no 

 harm if his shoulders were straight, and as for his hindquarters, 

 it did not matter much what they were. But this idea has 

 been exploded and it is now known that he pulls by muscle 

 more than by weight, and much more by the muscles of -his 

 hindquarters than by those of his forequarters. So we want 

 the hips of the drafter to be wide and heavily muscled, yet 

 smooth. 



Croup. A very broad and long croup gives the greatest 

 area for the laying on of muscle. It should also be fairly level 

 from hips to setting on of tail. A steep croup not only de- 

 tracts from the appearance, but is also usually associated with 

 shortness of croup, weakness of coupling, and crooked hind 

 legs. The croup should be covered with heavy, massive muscles. 



Tail. The tail should be attached high, and should be 

 full haired and well carried. 



Thighs. The thighs should be very wide and should bulge 

 with muscle, and the quarters should be very deep and heavy. 

 The stifle should likewise be heavily muscled, and there should 

 be great width through the hindquarters from stifle to stifle. 

 Viewed from the side, the thigh should be very wide from stifle 

 to end of body. 



Gaskins. The gaskins, like the forearms, should be very 

 wide and bulging with muscle. 



Hocks. Suppose we have a pair of ton horses hitched to 

 a big load. When the word is given to start, the horses extend 

 and lower their heads, lean against the collar, crouch down be- 

 hind by bringing their hind feet forward and flexing their hocks, 

 and then the pull of the powerful muscles of the hindquarters 

 extends the hock joint and straightens the hind leg, thus bring- 

 ing great pressure against the collar, and the load moves. The 

 point to be remembered is that an enormous strain comes upon 

 the hock, and if there is any weakness in that joint it is certain 

 to cause trouble. The hock must be large, clean, wide both 



