114 



JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



This is only suggestive, for the judge may make up a com- 

 parative card, and on it indicate such features as he thinks 

 desirable. Each horse is given a number or letter, and 

 then is given a grade in each feature. The placing of a 

 group will depend very much on the number of times A 

 was credited with first place, B with second, etc. It is 

 necessary, however, that the judge give the same relative 

 importance to the points considered that they are credited 

 with in the scale of points. He need not do this numeri- 

 cally but in his final decision he must adjust his placings 

 so as to be consistent. This comparative card is simply to 

 place on record the judge's opinion of the relative merits 

 of certain points he desires to study as separate groups. 

 In a comparative study of a ring of horses they should 

 be examined in various ways. At rest, standing side by 

 side, the heads and necks, the forehands, the thickness of 

 body and placing of legs and front feet may be seen to 

 advantage from a front view. A rear view of the hind- 

 quarters lined up for comparison, facilitates the study of 

 thickness of body, muscling, leg position, etc. The horses 

 placed in single file, directly back of each other, furnish 

 excellent opportunity for important comparison, as for 







Fig. 61. "The groups as a whole may first be paraded about the ring.' 



