THE TYPES AND CLASSES OF HORSES 



69 



indicate a degree of superiority, though of course we have 

 animals of poor as well as good quality. Quality is usually 

 an evidence of superior breeding, animals of inferior 

 quality as a rule inheriting the same from inferior ancestry. 

 With the horse, the bone is regarded as of great import- 

 ance. The composition and cellular structure of the bone 

 varies much. What is desirable is a hard, dense bone with 

 a strong, compact cellular structure, rather than a coarse, 

 porous and weak one. Unduly large joints and bone show 

 lack of quality and strength. The cannon bone is commonly 

 used as a measure of quality of bone and this should be flat, 

 deep and smooth. Horses with such bone and clean, well- 

 defined joints manifest superior quality and are capable of 



Fig. 33. "The long hair or feather down the back of the cannon is 

 highly valued as an evidence of quality." 



