194 PROFITABLE STOCK RAISING 



joints must be neat and free from defects; he must 

 be a powerfully built animal, capable of trans- 

 mitting all his good qualities to his progeny. 



After you have decided what kind of a stallion 

 you want, probably no place is as satisfactory for 

 purchasing as the home of some reputable breeder, 

 where not only the sire, but the dam and frequently 

 the second and third dams, can be seen. If his an- 

 cestors are of the right type you may be pretty 

 certain that his colts will be satisfactory. Decide 

 fully what you want before leaving home, and do 

 not allow a seller to change your opinion. See first 

 if his age, color and marking correspond with his 

 certificate. Be very careful to examine his eyes, 

 for defective vision is transmitted with great cer- 

 tainty. A good draft stallion should have a heavy 

 jaw and a clean, neat throat. His ears should stand 

 erect ; his crest should be well developed with a 

 neck of fairly good length. Few draft horses have 

 ever had too long a neck. This neck should be set 

 upon nicely sloping shoulders. Viewed from in 

 front, he should be wide, carrying his width all the 

 way back. He should be well muscled upon 

 shoulder, arm and forearm. His legs should be set 

 well under him and only medium in length. The 

 knee should be wide, carrying its width well down. 

 He should measure not less than 10 inches below 

 the knee, nor less than 12 below the hock. Viewed 

 from the side, all his legs should stand perpen- 

 dicular to the body. The pastern should stand at 

 an angle of 45 degrees. 



The length of the back, from shoulder blade to 

 point of hip, should never exceed the length of that 

 part of the quarter measured from the point of hip 

 to point of buttock. If depth of shoulder and 

 length of quarter each exceed the length of 



