98 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



The draft croup should be smooth, of fair length, and neither too 

 steep nor perfectly level. 



Thighs. From the hips, down to the stifles ; should be strongly 

 muscular, wide and long. Perfect, 3 points. Slim, light, narrow, 

 poorly muscled thighs denote lack of draft power. It is important 

 that the thighs and all other parts of the hind quarters should be 

 richly supplied with muscles. 



Quarters. Looking from the rear the plump muscles of the 

 inner sides of the thighs form the quarters and should be full, thick 

 and carried well down to the second thighs (gaskins). Perfect, 2 

 points. 



Stifles. These joints should be strong, thick with muscle, clean 

 cut in front and free from dropsical swellings. Like the elbows 

 they should be so set as to allow of straight, free action, and there- 

 fore neither appreciably turned toward or away from the body. Per- 

 fect, 2 points. 



Gaskins. These are the lower thighs and correspond to the 

 forearms and what is true of the latter also applies equally to the gas- 

 kins. The muscles should be large, prominent in front of the bone 

 and carried well downward. Perfect, 2 points. 



Hocks. These are most important joints as the great strain of 

 load starting and hauling falls upon them and they must be im- 

 mensely strong and perfectly sound or soon they will break down. 

 The joints should be large, clean, sharply defined, wide, deep, and 

 well set. Perfect, 8 points. Poor hocks are a common fault in draft 

 horses. It is important to improve this deficiency. To that end 

 breeding animals should have good hocks and for work horses this 

 also is imperative. The hock (not hind knee) is commonly the seat 

 of some one of such diseases as bone and bog (not blood) spavin, 

 thoroughpin and curb. These should be avoided. The joint should 

 look and feel firm, hard and with each bone well defined, free from 

 meatiness and of great size. The point of the hock should be prom- 

 inent, clean and sharp and the tendons under it straight, distinct, 

 but free from bulging. 



Canons, Fetlocks, Pasterns, Feet. "What has been said rela- 

 tive to these members of the fore leg applies with equal truth to the 

 corresponding parts of the hind extremity. The canons of the 

 hind leg should have the same wide, flat appearance desirable in 

 those of the fore leg. As the hind feet strike the ground a slanting 

 blow, while concussion on the fore feet is direct, absolute correctness 

 in form and perfect soundness is somewhat more important in the 

 fore feet than in the hind feet. The hind pasterns may be slightly 

 more upright than those of the fore leg. The hoofs of the hind limbs 

 are steeper and narrower than those of the fore legs. The hind fet- 

 locks are most likely to be blemished by puffs and interfering sores. 



SOUNDNESS AND UNSOUNDNESS. 



The professional veterinarian when examining a horse for 

 soundness proceeds on the basis of a negative test. He looks in turn 

 for one of a number of possible unsoundnesses each at its particular 



