2 ESSAYS ON HORSE SUBJECTS 



others mentioned. Of course there are varying 

 degrees of "quality," so that the term can only 

 be used in a comparative sense. In the light 

 classes of horses it is very often used synony- 

 mously with breeding. Certainly the more warm- 

 blooded a horse is the higher the degree of quality 

 he is apt to possess, but one may take two equally 

 well bred thoroughbreds and find one showing 

 evidence of the possession of a higher degree of 

 quality than the other. So that breeding and 

 quality do not mean the same thing. Neither 

 does quality signify the possession of symmetry, 

 good conformation, finish or "class." A horse 

 may be defective in any or all of these respects 

 and still possess a high degree of "quality." He 

 may be fiddle-headed, lop-eared, ewe-necked, 

 sway-backed, flat-sided, slack-loined, cow-hocked 

 and calf -kneed, and yet show much "quality." 



Much confusion is caused by using the term 

 "quality" synonymously with "class." Horses 

 are spoken of as high-class, medium-class and 

 so on, indicating the degree of excellence which 

 they possess for the purpose for which they are 

 best suited. Two individuals can be taken as an 

 example, showing equal "quality," but one of 

 them, on account of better conformation, more 

 style and action, may be worth twice as much as 

 the other. Consequently he is a higher-class in- 

 dividual, although the two are equal in "quality." 



