440 Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



well as ample room for heart and lungs. The distance from the last 

 rib to the hip should be short, and the flank should be deep. Horsemen 

 speak of a deep, full flank as a "good bread basket," and in certain 

 sections of the country where a business is made of feeding drafters 

 for market, care is taken to select animals for feeding that have deep, 

 full middles, for the other kind are poor feeders and cannot easily be 

 made fat. The horse that is cut up high in the flank is said to be 

 "wasp waisted," "tucked up," or "washy." When put to work, such 

 horses show lack of endurance or stamina, for they do not consume 

 enough feed to replace the energy expended in doing hard labor; hence 

 they become very thin in flesh, and are unable to do hard work for 

 many days in succession. The middle of the draft horse in good flesh 

 should be very large, and as round as a dollar. 



The back forms the connection between the power, which is in the 

 hindquarters, and the point of application of this power, which is the 

 shoulder. A short, rather straight, broad back that is heavily muscled 

 affords the strongest conformation. A short, wide back is not only 

 more rigid than a long, narrow one, but also brings the power closer 

 to the collar; it is therefore much desired because of its mechanical 

 advantage over the long, rangy conformation. 



The loin is usually called the "coupling." It lies just in front of 

 the hips, and includes those vertebrae which have no ribs below them. 

 The loin, lika the back, should be short, broad, and heavily muscled. 



Beginning with the hips and continuing throughout the hind- 

 quarters, we are dealing with the location of those muscles which fur- 

 nish power for draft, hence we want an appearance of great massive- 

 ness everywhere. It used to be thought that the draft horse did his 

 work simply by falling against the collar, thus bringing his weight to 

 bear, and consequently that his forequarters ought to be as heavy as 

 possible; it was no harm if his shoulders were straight, and as for his 

 hindquarters, it did not matter much what they were. But this idea 

 has been exploded and it is now known that he pulls by muscle more 

 than by weight, and much more by the muscles of his hindquarters 

 than by those of his forequarters. So we want the hips of the drafter 

 to be wide and heavily muscled, yet smooth. 



A very broad and long croup gives the greatest area for the laying 

 on of muscle. It should also be fairly level from hips to setting on of 

 tail. A steep croup not only detracts from the appearance, but is 

 also usually associated with shortness of croup, weakness of coupling, 

 and crooked hind legs. The croup should be covered with heavy, 

 massive muscles. 



The tail should be attached high, and should be full haired and 

 well carried. 



