434 Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



4. Endurance means the ability to do the day's work without 

 fagging. Durability means the ability to work day after day without 

 breaking down under the strain. Endurance is concerned mostly with 

 wind, muscling, and feeding capacity, while durability depends mostly 

 upon the feet and legs. Some first-hand horses last but six months, 

 or even less, on city streets. Others last as long as fifteen years, and, 

 in some cases, even longer. If a draft horse goes to pieces quickly 

 when put to work, he is a considerable loss to the owner. Feet and 

 legs are the parts most liable to prove defective. Lack of wind is a 

 common fault. The horse with a short rib seldom stands up to hard 

 labor very long. Buyers refuse to invest much money in horses that 

 are shallow bodied and cut up high in the flank, such animals being 

 poor feeders. 



5. Feeding capacity. — The horse is comparable to a locomotive. 

 He consumes hay and grain for fuel. Other things being equal, the 

 greater the amount of fuel consumed, the greater the work that can 

 be done. The drafter should be a good feeder. 



6. Disposition. — To be of greatest usefulness a draft horse must 

 be a prompt, willing worker that will be pleasant to handle, active, 

 and quick to respond to commands, yet quiet and docile. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPE 



General appearance. — The form of the draft horse is broad, deep, 

 massive, compact, rather low set, symmetrical, and stylish. He should 

 have a short back and a long underline. He must weigh not less than 

 1,600 pounds, and ton horses are the sort to keep in mind as draft 

 horses. Weights over a ton are not uncommon. It has been esti- 

 mated, on the basis of weights and prices for horses at the large markets, 

 that every 100 pounds above 1,500 adds $25 to the horse's value. As 

 to height, drafters usually stand from 16 to 17 hands. The height over 

 the hips should be no greater than at the withers, as this detracts from 

 the symmetrical appearance, throws more weight upon the f orequarters, 

 and makes the action stilted and heavy. Although the short-legged 

 horse is more powerful, the horse with slightly more length of leg will 

 take a longer stride, and may therefore be more useful. Some buyers 

 also prefer a certain degree of height in the drafter because they use 

 wagons with a high top or cover, and a short-legged horse would not 

 be in harmony with such vehicles. At this point it may be mentioned 

 that a great many firms desire horses which are not only able to do 

 their work successfully, but which also have considerable style and 

 beauty that will attract attention on the streets and help to advertise 

 the firm and its business. To this end, a great deal of money is in- 

 vested in vehicles nicely designed and ornamented, which are horsed 



