THE TYPES AND CLASSES OF HORSES 



The general appearance of the horse may best be 

 measured up by inspecting him as he stands at rest, on a 

 slight incline, with the front feet a trifle higher than the 

 rear ones, or when he is in motion, either at walk or trot. 

 Therefore the judge should stand a convenient distance 

 away, and survey the 

 animal as a whole from 

 front, rear and side. 

 The attendant will pose 

 the horse at rest, or 

 move him at walk or 

 trot as desired. The 

 judge should see that the 

 horse is kept in a proper 

 position, supporting him- 

 self equally well on each 

 leg when at rest, other- 

 wise some incorrect ob- 

 servations are likely to 

 be made. In this exam- 

 ination for general ap- 

 pearance, the height, 

 weight, form, substance 



and quality are to be considered simply as relating to the 

 animal as a whole. 



The height of the draft horse. The height of the horse 

 is expressed in hands, four inches representing a hand, the 

 width across the widest part of the palm. Special sticks 

 with sliding projecting arms, and canes marked off in 

 inches are often used for measuring the height. The hand 

 itself is divided into four equal parts, and the height is 

 usually given in hands and inches, as for example 17% 

 or 17.5, the % representing a half a hand, or two inches. 

 To measure the height, the stick is placed in a vertical 

 position just back of the front feet, so that the projecting 

 right arm of the measuring stick will just touch the top 

 of the withers. An experienced horseman, knowing the 



Fig. 32. "The stick is placed in a ver- 

 tical position just back of the front feet." 



