350 THE ESSENTIALS OF AGRICULTURE 



11. What is the standard horse ration in your locality? How does this 

 compare with the standard rations given in this text ? 



12. Make up from the feeds of your neighborhood a ration suitable for 

 horses working moderately; for horses being driven rapidly; for idle 

 horses; for brood mares; for growing colts. 



13. Under what circumstances should silage be fed to horses? 



14. What caution should be observed in the watering of horses? in 

 grooming? in blanketing? in clipping? in training young horses? 



15. To what leading markets of the world are horses shipped from your 

 locality ? 



16. Find a horse that is not accustomed to having water offered him 

 before he receives his morning ration. Measure the amount of water he 

 drinks, and on the following day water him before he is fed in the morning 

 and after he is fed as well, noting any difference that there may be in the 

 amount of water taken on the two days. 



17. What special care should be taken of the horse's feet? What are 

 the principal defects developed in horse's feet ? 



18. W T ith the score cards given in appendixes C, D, and E, score (i) a 

 draft horse, (2) a light horse, and (3) a mule. 



EXERCISES 



The students' work in judging horses and mules will be greatly 

 helped by a careful study of the illustrations of this chapter, particu- 

 larly Figs. 165, 173-176. It will also help if two animals of the same 

 class but of very different quality may be selected for study. 



1. Judging draft horses. Size and weight are determining factors 

 in the classification of draft horses. To belong to this class a horse 

 should weigh 1600 pounds or more and should be at least 15.2 hands 

 high. Value increases with size, other things being equal. 



The draft horse should be deep, wide, and compact of body, and 

 should carry his weight uniformly. The top line should be strong 

 and short, while the underlines should be long and straight. Quality 

 is an essential to good service. It is indicated by fine hair; clean, strong 

 joints ; clean, flat legs ; and tough, firm feet. The head should be 

 cleanly defined and bony in appearance, with good width of forehead. 



The head should be proportionate to the body, neither too large 

 nor too small, with clean muzzle, medium ear, bright eye, broad fore- 

 head, and a clean throatlatch. A thick throatlatch usually indicates 

 " poor wind." The neck should be of medium length, with a slight 



