30 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



The width of the hips should be in keeping with the other parts of 

 the horse, but not prominent. The croup should be long, well mus- 

 cled and not too drooping. The seriousness of the objection to a 

 drooping croup will depend upon the class, but in any class it is 

 unsightly and detracts from the value of the horse. The tail should 

 be set high, well haired and stylishly carried. The quarters and 

 thighs should be heavily muscled according to the class to which 

 the horse belongs; the hocks large, strong, and free from puffs or 

 any unsoundness ; the cannon short and broad, the tendons and liga- 

 ments prominent and well defined. There should be no tying-in of 

 the tendons below the knee or hock, because it gives a light appear- 

 ance to the bone. The head should be of moderate size with clean 

 cut features ; large, mild eyes ; ears rather small and set not too far 

 apart. The head should be properly set on a neck of moderate length 

 with a rather thin, well developed crest. A large horse with a small 

 head is almost as unsightly as a small horse with a large one. A long- 

 legged, narrow-chested, wasp-waisted, loose-ribbed, long-coupled 

 horse is always to be avoided and is a cheap animal on the market. 

 The different classes possess special requirements of conformation 

 which will be discussed in detail elsewhere in this bulletin. 



Quality. Quality in a horse is of prime importance. This 

 term when applied to horses has reference to their bones, skin, hair, 

 and muscles. Its presence is shown by clean cut features of the 

 head ; firm, clean bone ; tendons well defined ; close fitting glove-like 

 skin; hair fine and silky; an abundance of finish; and absence of 

 coarseness, but not necessarily a small bone. When slightly exerted 

 the skin will show clearly an intricate net work of veins. Coarse 

 hair is usually associated with a coarse skin and a soft spongy bone 

 which is weak and subject to disease. With quality the muscles 

 stand out prominently and are clearly defined which aids in giving 

 a horse finish. Quality is a strong indication of the extent of a 

 horse's endurance. These two characteristics are closely associated 

 and a horse lacking in quality is comparatively a cheap animal. 



Condition. To be appreciated on the market horses must be 

 in good condition, carrying a thick covering of firm flesh and pos- 

 sessing a good coat of hair which gives them a sleek appearance. 

 Condition is most important in heavy horses such as draft horses, 

 chunks and wagon. Some men are making good profits by buying 

 feeders on the market and shipping them to the country to be put in 

 condition, after which they are reshipped and resold. Whether or 

 not this added flesh increases the animal's real value for utility and 

 longevity is not necessary to consider here; since the market de- 

 mands it, the producer can well afford to supply it. Careful esti- 

 mates on the value of horse flesh made by reliable authorities, put 

 it at 25 cents per pound on heavy horses weighing 1500 pounds and 

 upward. This fact has been verified by an experiment in fattening 

 horses for market conducted at this station. It can readily be seen 

 that the producer cannot afford to let some one else reap this profit. 



Action. The action of a horse is not of equal importance in 

 all classes. There is probably no other one thing that counts for 



