420 



Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



mon defects in the shape and position of the legs are shown in the ac- 

 companying drawings. 



A horse that is "base wide" or "toe wide" in front, swings the leg 

 inward when in action. A "base narrow" or "toe narrow" conforma- 

 tion results in the horse swinging his feet outward, or "paddling" as 

 it is called. (See accompanying drawings.) Horses that naturally 

 stand wide at the hocks will travel the same way (wide), which is very 

 undesirable. When the hind legs are bowed outward, the hocks spread 

 still farther outward when the stress comes upon them in action, and 

 usually the foot leaves the ground with a twisting motion which wears 

 out shoes and is otherwise undesirable. Any deviation from trueness 

 in the flight of the foot wastes energy, detracts from the appearance 

 of the horse in action, and the horse may strike himself, called inter- 

 fering, which often causes blemishes, lameness, and stumbling. 



i-l 



Fig. 161. — Defects in fore legs and their effects on action. 



Viewed from the side, a nicely sloping foot and pastern leave the 

 ground easily and describe the arc of a circle at every step. Straight 

 or stubby pasterns and feet result in a short, stubby way of going that 

 is stilted and non-elastic. A too-sloping pastern and foot are not 

 nicely carried, but are brought out straight to a point in front and then 

 slapped upon the ground. (See accompanying drawings.) Other 

 defects of action will be discussed in connection with the various types 

 of horses. 



Bent or sickle hocks. — This defect is often difficult for beginners 

 to detect. It is often possible to pose a horse so as to hide this fault 

 unless one knows exactly how to detect it under all conditions. When 

 a horse with a sickle hock stands in a natural position, the defect is 

 easily seen. A vertical line downward from the point of the buttock 

 may then touch the point of the hock, but below that point the cannon 

 slopes forward instead of following the vertical line, and the hind foot 

 is placed too far forward. (See B in Fig. 162, and note that this is 



