412 TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



on a much more yielding footing, yet the high rate of speed puts 

 his feet and legs to a very severe test, and many horses with 

 speed and stamina have their usefulness and value greatly lessened 

 because of failure to keep sound when called upon to go through 

 a strenuous racing campaign or do a large amount of work on 

 the road. Some very noted horses and some families of trotters 

 have been notably lacking in this respect. 



Beauty of conformation is a comparatively small factor 

 in determining the value of light-harness horses for racing pur- 

 poses. Some breeders have placed considerable emphasis on 

 the matter of looks and attractiveness, but in general it may 

 be said that beauty in the light-harness horse, while appreciated 

 whenever it occurs, has not been fully emphasized by breeders, 

 because they have been catering to the demand of the race track, 

 and that demand is for speed above everything else. In select- 

 ing roadsters strictly for road driving, however, speed is not 

 so important as endurance and the ability to make a long drive 

 in creditable time, and for this work a horse of attractive, finished 

 appearance is highly desirable. A big, strong, well-made horse, 

 with quality, a well-carried head and tail, light mouth, good 

 manners, excellent feet and legs, and a long stride, is the sort 

 best suited for road driving. For the various kinds of racing, 

 however, speed, stamina, and durability are the almost ex- 

 clusive requirements. 



DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPE. 



General appearance. There is considerable variation in 

 the general appearance of the light-harness horse. This is a 

 result of breeding for speed alone. Speed is the only character- 

 istic which all light-harness horses possess with reasonable uni- 

 formity. To be sure, selection and breeding for speed have 

 resulted in fixing a sort of general type upon this horse. Certain 

 things are necessary in the conformation of the horse to enable 

 him to go fast. Acknowledging this, there is yet opportunity 

 for rather wide differences in appearance. In selecting animals 

 for breeding purposes, the basis of selection has been speed 

 almost to the exclusion of other qualities. S. W. Parlin, Editor 

 of the American Horse Breeder, has written the following on 

 the subject of breeding trotters: "When choosing between two 

 animals for breeding purposes, one of which is a very attractive 

 animal, but known to be lacking in inheritance from animals 

 that were race winners at some gait, and a less attractive one, 



