THE HORSE IN AUSTRALIA. 



nails on yonr little finger, the horse is. probably not less 

 than 15, and perhaps 20 years of age. 



Good Mothers, Good Stock. "Good horses, like great 

 men have good mothers." Reliable animals get their 



goodness that way. 

 Speaking of that 

 most reliable of all, 

 the Clydesdales, 

 Topsman, Darnley, 

 Prince of Wales, and 

 Old Times, all of 

 them had excellent 

 *'%\ mothers, and of the 

 four only Prince of 

 Wales had a sire of 

 more than ordinary 

 merit. The early 

 improvers of cattle 

 fully recognised the 



force of the above truism, and the pedigrees of cattle in 

 herd books are tabulated according to the dam's side. 



Judging the Horse from the Foal. The future height 

 to which a newly-born foal will attain, when a full-grown 

 horse, may be approximately ascertained by doubling the 

 length of his fore limb, measured from the fetlock to the 

 elbow. From the knee to the ground the limb is near.y 

 the full length of the adult animal, but it is decidedly 

 shorter from the knee to the elbow than at maturity. 



To Choose a Heavy Draught. The characteristics of 

 a good heavy draught horse are large deep chest, straight 

 shoulders, a little inclined to flesh, thick body, not too much 

 belly, straight loins, the hindquarters a little depressed, thick 

 through the thighs, and sound, sizeable feet. The horse 

 that has sound, well-formed legs, feet, aud chest, and 

 thick short muscles in the thigh, is strong and likely to be 

 steady in a heavy pull. The speed is not so material ; 

 there are draught horses that are quick, and those that are 

 slow. The steady, light horses are good for farm work 

 when the ground is light and even ; the heavy, slow horses, 

 with firm tread are excellent for new heavy ground, or on 



