CHAPTER XII. 



JUDGING THE SADDLE TYPE OF HORSE. 



Type and character with the saddle horse varies con- 

 siderably according to breeding. The Thoroughbred is the 

 oldest pure bred saddle horse other than the Arab, and 

 while comparatively little used to-day in America, it is very 

 common in certain European countries, especially Great 

 Britain. A class of horses, known as Hunters, quite vari- 

 able in type and breeding, are also extensively used for the 

 saddle in Europe. In fact light horses are commonly used 

 for the saddle in various parts of the world, that vary 

 greatly in ancestry, and more or less in type. So it may 

 be assumed that there is not the uniformity of type with 

 the saddle horse that some might think. In the United 

 States a distinct breed, known as the American Saddle horse, 

 with a strong foundation of Thoroughbred blood, has been 

 developed and improved to a high standard of excellence. 

 The widespread distribution of this breed in America, its 

 pre-eminence for the saddle, and its well established type, 

 justifies using it as the standard for special study of saddle 

 horse conformation. 



SCORE CARD FOR SADDLE HORSE OF AMERICAN TYPE. 



Standard of Score of 

 SCALE OF POINTS Perfect Horse 



Score Studied 

 A GENERAL APPEARANCE, 12 Points: 



1. Height, Estimated hands Actual hands . . . . .... 



2. Weight, 1,050 to 1,150 pounds 



3. Form, close but not full made, deep but not broad 



symmetrical 



4. Quality, bone clean, dense, fine, yet indicating sub 



stance; tendons and joints sharply defined 



hide and hair fine ; general refinement, finish . 

 5. Temperament, active, disposition good, intelligent. 



160 



