Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 443 



animal. The top line from head to tail may be an irregular line full 

 of angles, whereas it should be gracefully curved. The hips may be 

 wide, which is desirable, yet they should not be wide out of all propor- 

 tion to the rest of the body, so as to be ragged and prominent. Seem- 

 ingly small factors such as these may or may not affect the horse's 

 usefulness for work, but frequently they constitute the difference be- 

 tween a plain animal and one of show-yard character, between which 

 there is a great difference in price. One horse looks as though he were 

 made up of a lot of different-sized parts which do not fit well together, 

 while the other seems cast from a carefully prepared mould. Standing 

 in natural position, the symmetrical horse carries his head and neck 

 well up, so that the face line, shoulder, and pastern all slope at nearly 

 the same angle; the croup is fairly level from hips to tail, the tail is 

 set high, and all parts of his conformation are so proportioned as to 

 give him a well-balanced appearance. 



The action of the draft horse should be true, snappy, and bold. 

 As you see him going or coming, the movement of the legs should be 

 straight in the line of motion, the feet being carried true, with no 

 paddling or irregularity of gait. Walking away from you, he should 

 move with enough snap to give you the flash of his shoe at every step. 

 As you view him in action from the side, he should show length of 

 stride and enough height of action to clear the ground safely at each 

 step. High knee action is not essential; in fact, carriage horse action 

 in a draft horse means useless expenditure of energy. However, there 

 should be a strong, free movement of knees and hocks, without dragging 

 or stiffness. The walk is the real gait of the draft horse, and an active, 

 snappy, springy walk, with trueness and length of stride, is the prime 

 essential so far as action is concerned. However, the trot often magni- 

 fies defects in gait so that they are more easily seen, and in show and 

 sale rings drafters are shown at both gaits. The stride in the trot 

 should be long, true, springy, steady, businesslike, and moderately 

 high. Horsemen like a bold way of going that indicates willingness 

 and courage in the horse. 



In action, the hocks should pass close together, so close in fact 

 that they nearly brush each other. Some horses go so wide behind 

 that a wheelbarrow could be put between the hind legs and scarcely 

 touch them. Any tendency to spraddle behind is one of the greatest, 

 if not the greatest, defect which the drafter can exhibit, so far as action 

 is concerned. ■ 



The study of action is one requiring close attention. The observer 

 must take into consideration every movement of the horse. Attention 

 must be given not only to the movement of the feet and legs, but also 

 to the carriage of the head and neck and the entire body. The head 



