96 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR. 



V. Body and Limbs. 



The figure given on page 97 shows a side view of the head, neck, 

 shoulder, and fore limbs, as they should be seen in a perfectly formed 

 animal. On pagel02are side views of the fore quarters of horses, even 

 down to those which easily tecome distorted from labor or use. In the 

 perfectly formed horse, the neck is muscular and fine at the top, where 

 it joins the head. There is no useless flesh, though where it joins the 

 shoulder it is full and yet fine in proportion. The shoulder is deep, ob- 

 lique or slanting. The shoulder-blade is high, giving stability to, and at 

 the same time fully supporting, th' withers. The breast is prominent, 

 but narrowing to the point where the legs leave the body. The arm is 

 long, muscular, and tapering to the knee. The joints are large, but firm 

 and compact. The fetlocks are long but flexible. The hoofs are rather 

 large, and are round, deep, tough, and sound. It iij the shoulder of a (^ad- 

 dle horse, of speed, bottom and endurance, that is seen in. the cut. Few 

 horses, even of the highest class, possess this perfect ideal conforma- 

 tion. For the harness, the shoulder may be less oblique. The horse of 

 all work, is more rigid and upright in limb and shoulder than the more 

 speedy one ; yet the illustrations we give may be taken as the standard in 

 judging a horse intended for every kind of work. The general appear- 

 ance of the best animals of the various breeds is shown by cuts in their 

 appropriate places in this volume. A comparison will show that while 

 there are differences, yet the rules here laid down will apply generally to 

 all horses, modified only by the differences required to enable a particu- 

 lar breed to perform special labor. The trotting gait, as exhibited in a 

 high-caste roadster, combining style Anth high ac^tion and great and long 

 continued speed, w ould be execrable in a saddle horse The spr ngy, 

 nervous action, and the long s'ride of the elegant saddle horse, would 

 not go far towards pulling a dead weight, however honest and courageous 

 the attempt might be — and Ave have seen thoroughbreds as honest and 

 courageous at a dead pull as could be desired in a draft horse. "While 

 the highly-bred horse, especially the road horse, will fill more places than 

 uny other, yet the horseman must seek the animal best suited to his 

 purpose. A study of the various models we present will enable any intelli- 

 gent person to judge for himself, as well as an exjDert whom he would 

 have to pay for his services. It should certainly prevent the palming off 

 of any "sorry brute," as is often done upon those who, while scorning 

 intelligent study, imagine they "know all about horses." 



VI. Bad Pore-Quarters. 



In the illustrations on page 102, the upper left hand figure shows a 

 straight ehoulaer, the chest heavy, and the limbs placed too far under;. 



