24 THE HORSE BOOK. 



ranger far stronger than that of a well bred, 

 high-quality native horse. 



Texture of the hoof is dominated absolutely 

 by the character of the hair on the coronet. The 

 hoof is secreted by papillae the same as the 

 hair (also tubes), and in composition is a series 

 of tubes glued together by matter very largely 

 the same as the dandruff exfoliated by the skin. 

 If the hair is coarse the papillae secreting the 

 hoof will be coarse also, the structure of the 

 hoof being therefore comparable to the hair we 

 see on the legs and coronet. The larger the 

 tubes in the hoof, the larger is the space between 

 them to be filled with the connecting matter. 

 The more coarse, brittle and curly the hair 

 about the coronet, the more objectionable will 

 be the formation of the horny hoof. The finest 

 hair known in the entire equine family is on the 

 leg of the Thoroughbred. At speed the foot of 

 the racer sustains an impact with the ground 

 that would instantly wreck the foot of a draft 

 horse. 



Quality, even if an intangible attribute, is in- 

 grained in the horse, but it is not always reeog-. 

 nized when it is seen. Many a rough looking 

 seemingly qualityless colt in the field exhibits 

 the most beautiful quality in the show ring. 

 Much of it is often the result of proper environ- 

 ment. Quality is a word to conjure with and 

 one, be it said, about which a measureless 

 amount of buncombe has been preached. Too 



