HEAVY HORSE — HEIGHT 



Heavy Horse. — The description applied to the big draught 

 horse varieties, such as the Clydesdales, Shires, and Suffolks, 

 which see. 



Heavy Shoes. — Although heavy shoes entail more 

 exertion upon a horse when he moves, and therefore are 

 calculated to tire him when he goes on a journey, it is a 

 well-known fact that in the case of a high-stepper they 

 improve the bend of the knees. Hence the common practice 

 amongst exhibitors of hackneys and harness horses of 

 loading their animal's feet with a great weight of iron, the 

 shoes sometimes being made so wide as to almost cover the 

 sole of the hoof This is a most objectionable course to 

 take, and is prohibited at some shows, as distinctly unfair 

 to those who show genuine and not artificial movers. (See 

 Action, Breaking, Shoeing.) 



Heavy Top. — A horse is described as being heavy topped 

 when his neck and shoulders are coarse, and out of proportion 

 to the other parts of his body. 



Heels. — The lower back parts of the wall of the hoof. 

 (See Foot.) 



Height. — The height of a horse is taken from the top 

 of the withers in a straight line to the ground, and is 

 ascertained by placing the animal under a standard, of which 

 there are several designs. Considerable experience is required 

 to arrive at accurate results, as many horses will crouch 

 down under the standard, or stretch themselves out in such 

 a manner as to considerably reduce their height. As a 

 consequence, they should be made to stand up properly, and 

 the floor on which they are measured should be perfectly 

 level. It is well known, too, that an animal that is hot and 

 excited will measure much taller than he will if he is cool 

 and collected, and hence the necessity for insisting that he is 

 in a normal condition when placed under the standard ; and 



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