118 LIVESTOCK ON THE FARM 



than a narrow one. The knee should also be quite wide in 

 front from side to side. 



The cannon is the part of the leg from knee and hock to the 

 fetlock joint. This is the joint next below the knee and hock. 

 The cannon bone is the front part of the cannon and the 

 back part is the tendon passing to the foot. This tendon 

 passes over pulley-like arrangements at the back of the joints 

 mentioned above. This gives width and strength to the 

 cannon, which should be wide and of even width. 



The length of limb from knee and hock up, as already said, 

 should be long so as to give lots of power to the muscles in 

 this part. The cannon or part of the limb from these joints 

 down contains no muscles and therefore should be short. This 

 is simply a place where power is transmitted from the parts 

 above to the parts below, therefore it should be short. The 

 difference in the proportionate length of these two parts of the 

 leg can be noticed in comparing well-bred horses with grade 

 or scrub horses. 



The Pastern. The pastern of a horse is the sloping part of 

 the limb below the cannon. This should be strong and 

 should have considerable slope. Both the length and slope 

 of this part are greater in horses of the roadster type than in 

 those of the draft type. 



The purpose of the slope in the pastern is to give the horse 

 elasticity in its gait. This slope acts like a cushion and pre- 

 vents jar to the horse. Imagine a man walking on his heels 

 with the balls of his feet up. He would soon be shaken to a 

 "frazzle." So it would be with a horse if all the bones in 

 the limbs were set on end in a straight line. The horse then 

 would have no value whatever. But with the slope of the 

 pastern and the nearly horizontal position of the bone from 

 the elbow to shoulder, together with the slope of the shoulder 

 the horse has an elasticity in its gait that makes for a long 

 life of ease, pleasure and ability in doing its work. 



What is the difference between a farm "plug" and a well- 

 bred saddle horse as a means of obtaining pleasure and com- 

 fort in riding? It is very great and the difference lies very 

 largely in the difference of the position of these bones and the 

 different kind of training these horses get. 



