THE HORSE 145 



the top, the chest deep and round. The breast should be 

 wide and carried low, giving a large girth; the ribs long 

 and well sprung. The back should be short, broad, and 

 well muscled. The loins should be short, wide, and flat, 

 and the underline should be long and moderately curved. 

 The flanks full and even, denoting a good feeder. 



Hind quarters. The hind quarters include more points to 

 be noted than any other part of the animal. The thighs 

 should be broad, smooth, and level; the croup moderately 

 drooping, long, and heavily muscled; the tail attached high 

 and well carried ; the thigh deep, short, and heavily muscled ; 

 the quarter (between the thighs) plump and full; the stifle 

 clean, round, and well fleshed; the gaskins long, wide, and 

 smooth; the hocks, viewed from in front, broad, clean, and 

 flat, and strongly supported below. The cannons are a little 

 wider and longer than those in front; the pasterns and toes 

 a little less sloping and shorter than those in the front legs. 

 The feet are less rounding, but otherwise they should corre- 

 spond exactly with those in the front. 



THE FEEDING AND CARE OF HORSES 



Feeding the horse. Considerable attention should be 

 given to the feeding and care of the horse for the sake of his 

 health and comfort. The horse has a small stomach and, 

 therefore, should not be fed a large amount of food at one 

 time; but that which is given must be nutritious. Nearly 

 all diseases of the digestive organs are the result of improper 

 feeding. Mouldy or musty foods should never be fed. A 



