H2 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



rare event for a judge to be unable to decide between two 

 animals for first place. For reasons satisfactory to himself 

 the judge places the horses in their relative order of merit. 

 In judging draft horses size and weight, in the opinion of 

 many, must be regarded as of first importance, after which 

 come various factors measured up in comparative values 

 as expressed by the score card. It is important in this 

 consideration not to emphasize too heavily in themselves 

 certain features, unless properly associated with other 

 factors of conformation whereby balance and merit are 

 secured. Notable defects, as, for example, a spavin, should 

 as a rule drop an animal out of serious consideration unless 

 perchance each animal in the ring was suffering from some 

 physical blemish. But if one is to emphasize strength of 

 loin, he should realize that it ought to be related to a strong 

 back and coupling and naturally powerful conformation. 

 Judges are usually critical of the feet of the horse and 

 some men at once place an animal low in the ring if the 

 feet do not measure up to a high standard. However, if 

 the feet are sound, yet of undesirable size or shape, there 

 may be enough good qualities in the horse to justify plac- 

 ing him comparatively high in the line. In comparative 

 work the judge should make his placings consistent and if 

 possible keep animals of the same type together. If there 

 is much variation in type, then one should seek to secure as 

 much balance and merit as possible high up in the line, 

 with a gradual lessening amount of merit as we approach 

 the foot of the line. It is pertinent here to quote from an 

 important editorial 1 on the balanced horse: "Frequently 

 it happens that some one or more characteristics about a 

 horse are unduly magnified in importance while some serious 

 faults are overlooked. Men are ever likely to ride a hobby 

 to death. . . . There are many admirers of horses whose 

 judgment is seriously warped, few who have a well-balanced 

 conception of what constitutes merit. One notices this 

 when several men examine the same horse at once. One 



1 "The Breeders' Gazette," Vol. 68, November 4, 1915. 



