240 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



balanced head, the ears will be placed so that when erect, 

 their tips will hardly extend above the poll. It is not 

 unusual for ears to be attached so high on the head as to 

 injure the harmony of proportions. This is especially to 

 be noticed with polled cattle. Cattle naturally carry the 

 ears about half erect and pointing forward. If naturally 

 carried in a depressed position, there is evidence of bad dis- 

 position or ill health. Occasionally the horns interfere with 

 a natural carriage of ear. Horns are considered a disad- 

 vantage by many, and, in fact, under conditions of domesti- 

 cation, serve 110 special economic purpose. They, however, 

 are an important indicator of breed character, and furnish 

 some evidence as to age and quality. From a breed char- 

 acter standpoint, the horn is quite important. There is a 

 very pronounced difference in the shape, curvature and 

 color of the horns of the Hereford and Shorthorn. The 

 exhibitor who brings into the show ring a dehorned ani- 

 mal of recognized breed, places himself at a disadvantage 

 in thus presenting a head robbed of a part of its distinctive 

 breed character. 



The neck of the beef animal should be short and thick. 

 The head should be neatly attached, with no excess of skin 

 or fullness about the jaw. In its lower part, the neck 

 should widen out and blend with much smoothness into 

 the shoulder. In its carriage, the neck should have 

 a top line that very slightly rises from withers to base 

 of poll. Males should have necks with some crest and 

 thickening of the top muscles, but even this need not in- 

 terfere with a level carriage of neck. Some animals na- 

 turally elevate the neck more than others, and this is often 

 referred to as a stylish carriage. Bulls have thick, strong 

 necks that are more or less arched. Youatt states 3 that 

 ' ' a little of the arched form of neck is no detriment either 

 to his appearance or his actual value, although common con- 

 sent seems to have determined that the line from the horns 

 to the withers should scarcely deviate from the back. The 



3 Cattle, I860, p. 344. 



