236 THE HORSE 



leg and hoof troubles to a greater degree than those of 

 light colors. Many think that dark-colored animals, 

 like brown men, are able to withstand adverse condi- 

 tions better than those of light color. Be this as it 

 may, it is safest to select animals of strong colors with 

 dark points. 



The size of the horse is sometimes an important 

 factor in determining price, or rather the amount which 

 can be realized for him. Large horses, other things 

 being equal, usually command a higher price than those 

 of medium size, and those of medium size more than 

 small ones. But the largest types of horses, be they 

 draft, coach or roadster, are more difficult to produce, 

 and when produced are more in danger of becoming 

 unsound than medium -sized ones. As these pages are 

 for the farmer, and not for the professional breeder, the 

 advice is not to attempt to produce monstrosities or 

 even the largest types of any class of domesticated 

 animals. Good profits are seldom secured by rearing 

 horses which weigh a ton, or cows which tip the scales 

 at sixteen hundred pounds, or pigs which weigh half as 

 much as horses do. One escapes a multitude of disap- 

 pointments by holding on to a little good "horse -sense." 



It might be thought that judging and selecting 

 horses would be an easy task, since, unlike the cow 

 and sheep, the horse is prized largely for his stored 

 energy; but the conditions under which he must exert 

 his powers are so varied; the first cost and the keep 

 of a horse are so great; he is so liable to become 

 unsound, so utterly useless when incapacitated for 

 work, so disappointing if bad tempered or without 



