12 BUEEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Stand out; if the skin is tight and inelastic and the coat dry and harsh, 

 we have evidence of a low state of nutrition. This ma}' have resulted 

 from a severe and long-continued disease or from lack of proper food 

 and care. Where an animal is emaciated— that is, becomes thin— there 

 is fii'ht a loss of fat and later the muscles shi-ink. B}' observing the 

 amount of shrinkage in the muscles one has some indication as to the 

 duration of the unfavorable conditions that the animal has lived under. 

 By constitution we understand the innate ability of the animal to 

 withstand disease or unfavorable conditions of life. The constitution 

 depends largely upon the conformation. The type of construction 

 that usually accompanies the best constitution is deep broad chest, 

 allowing plenty of room for the lungs and heart, indicating that 

 these vital organs are well developed; capacious abdomen, allowing- 

 sufficient space for well-developed organs of digestion; the loins should 

 be short— that is, the space should be short between the last rib and 

 the point of the hip; the head and neck should be well molded, with- 

 out superlluous or useless tissue; this gives a clear-cut throat. The 

 cars, eyes, and face should have an expression of alertness and ffood 

 breeding. The muscular development should be good; the shoulders, 

 forearms, croup, and thighs must have the appearance of strength. 

 The Avithcrs are sharp, which means that they are not loaded with use- 

 less, superfluous tissue; the legs are straight and their axes are par- 

 allel; the knees and hocks are low, which means that the forearms and 

 thighs are long and the cannons relatively short. The cannons are 

 T)road from in front to behind, and relatively thin from side to side. 

 This means that the bony and tendinous structures of the legs are 

 well developed and well placed. The hoofs are compact, tense, firm 

 structures, and their soles are concave and frogs large. Such a horse 

 is likely to have a good constitution and to be able to resist hard work 

 fatigue, and disease to a maximum degree. On the other hand, a poor 

 constitution is indicated by a shallow, narrow chest, small bones, 

 long loins, coarse neck and head, with thick throat, small, bony, and 

 muscular development, short thighs and forearms, small joints, long, 

 round cannons, and hoofs of open texture with flat soles. 



Tlie temperament is indicated by the manner in which the horse 

 responds to external stimuli. When the horse is spoken to, or when 

 he sees or feels anything that stimulates or gives alarm, if he responds 

 actively, quickly, and intelligently, he is said to be of lively, or nerv- 

 ous, temperament. On the other hand, if he responds in a slow, 

 sluggish manner, he is said to have a sluggish, or lymphatic, tempera- 

 ment. The temperame^nt is indicated by the gait, by the expression 

 of the face, and by the'carriage of the head and ears. The nature of 

 the temperament should be taken into consideration in an endeavor to 

 ascertain the severity of a given case of illness, because the general 



