390 



THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. 



BOOK III. 



if a straight hock affords as much propelling power as one moderately 

 bent. The muscles surrounding the hocks should be strong and firm ; 

 and objection is always taken to animals which have them loose and 

 flabby, or which, to use a breeder's phrase, have " fleshy hocks." 



From the hock to the ground the leg should be short, broad, flat, 

 clean, even, and straight or slightly inclined forward ; the sinews 

 standing out from the bone, and having a similar fringe of hair to 

 that on the fore leg, and rising as high as the bottom of the hock- 

 joint. 



The hind pasterns are a little larger generally than the fore ones, 

 and are more inclined, but not so much as to give the idea that they 



Fig. 86. Clydesdale Stallion, "Oyama" (13118). 



Champion at the Scottish Stallion Shows of 1906 and 1907. The property of 

 Mr. James Kilpatrick, Craigie Mains, Kilmarnock, N.B. 



are not supporting the quarters. Short, steep, hind pasterns are a 

 very bad fault, as the animal is always sticking its toes into the 

 ground. 



The average height of the Clydesdale horse is about 16 hands 

 2 inches, though there are several stallions to be found as high as 

 17 hands, but very few over that height. The fashionable colour is 

 brown, that of a deep dark shade being preferred, and all the more so if 

 dappled, while black is also common. Grey is not in favour, and few 

 colts of this colour are kept entire unless very prepossessing otherwise. 

 Grey mares, however, have often been used for breeding; and it is 

 not very ' long since grey stallions took some of the best prizes of 



