Cake of the Stallion ' 145 



buyer should le sure that the colt has had plenty of exercise. It 

 is not necessary to pay an excessive price for such a colt ; he will 

 grow into money very fast and should pay his keep at two years 

 old, at maturity do the ordinary farm work, and earn a nice profit 

 in the stud each year thereafter. 



CHARACTERISTIOS OF A GOOD DRAFTER 



A stallion should have a good crest, bold masculine appearance, 

 bright, full hazel eye, a broad, full forehead, and a strong, wide, 

 wefl-muscled jaw — for the grist mill of the stallion is very 

 important. The depth of body should equal or exceed one-half his 

 lieidit ; the length of (juarter from point of hip to point of buttock 

 and the depth from upper end of shoulder blade to point of 

 shoulder should be about equal, and each should exceed the length 

 of back from shoulder blade to coupling. The sloping shoulder 

 and long, level hip gives the short back and long underline — the 

 .•onformation so much desired — and allows free action. If the 

 ribs extend up and well out from the backbone and carry down- 

 ward, the horse has lots of room inside for lungs, heart and other 

 vital organs. Excessive fat gives this appearance to a flat-sided 

 horse, and is damaging and deceiving. Equally important is the 

 pastern — the mainspring of the horse ; it should have an angle of 

 fortv-five degrees. Straight pasterns mean straight shoulders and 

 the "sidebone"^ and ringbone conformation. Equally as important 

 are the feet — especially the fore feet, as they carry about 60 per 

 cent of the weight. I have known many buyers to foolishly object 

 to a thick sole,^the cushion of all the good or bad things above. 

 1 )on't let the blacksmith mutilate the sole just because it cuts easy ; 

 the saying, " We must be good to our soul or our soul won't amount 

 to much,'^ applies to the sole of a horse's foot as well. 



At least two-thirds of the power in pulling is expended through 

 the hock, and no doubt 50 per cent of all unsoundness is at this 

 point- therefore it stands to reason that the hock is one of the 

 most important points in a draft horse sire. The term quality 

 covers a heap of sins in draft stallions, especially in the East. We 

 are led to associate the word with fine, silky hair; clean, cordy 

 leos- well-proportioned bodv; large, bright eyes; beautiful head 

 and 'neck, and a nervous energy sticking out a foot from every 

 10 



