THE COACH OR CARRIAGE HORSE TYPE 6 1 



smooth, short, and strongly attached above and below. The ten- 

 dons which pass along behind should stand out clear and strong, 

 thus giving depth to the leg at this point. As the hand is passed 

 down over the cannons no unnecessary roughness should be 

 felt. Under both knee and hock the cannons should be deep, 

 showing a strong attachment at these joints. The fetlock should 

 be strong and placed straight and should be free from fleshiness. 

 The pasterns should stand at an angle of about 45 degrees with 

 the floor, and be long, smooth, and springy. As the horse stands 

 naturally the pasterns should be well sustained, with no tend- 

 ency to drop low and appear weak. If the pastern is short or 

 straight, an easy gait cannot be assumed and the conditions pro- 

 mote foot and leg diseases. A correct pastern at 45 degrees 

 allows the proper placing of the foot, the frog striking first with 

 the resulting jar or concussion less than it would be otherwise. 

 The feet are most important, and a capable judge of the horse 

 will give them almost a first consideration. These should be of 

 suitable size, round, wide at top, well developed at heel, and pref- 

 erably of dark, hard bone. Ample size is important, for a small 

 foot in the horse presages trouble. The hind part, or heel, should 

 be wide and of reasonable depth, a low heel and flat foot being 

 associated with poor feet. The bottom of the foot, or sole, 

 should be concave and well arched. In a well-formed foot the 

 frog should be wide at the heel, be strongly developed, and 

 just touch the ground when the horse is at rest. Passing about 

 the frog in a continuation of the wall of the hoof from behind 

 is the bar of the foot. This bar helps to hold the sole of the 

 foot together, and should be strong and show character. The 

 front feet are usually rounder than the hind, and they are also 

 more subject to injury and are more commonly defective than 

 the hind feet. # 



The proper position of the legs of the horse when at rest may 

 be noted as follows : Front leg. A plumb line dropped from point 

 of shoulders will bisect the knee, cannon, pastern, and foot, 

 viewed from the front. From the side, dropped from the center 

 of the arm at the lower part of the body, such a line should 

 about divide the leg to the fetlock joint, and then, passing to 

 the ground, should just touch the back part of the foot. Hind 



