'FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS 95 



For this reason the canon bones are used as an index to 

 the size and quality of bone which the animal possesses. 

 A horse of good quality can be readily determined, for 

 example, by passing the hand along the canon bone. If the 

 skin is smooth, soft and oily, and the bone is hard, smooth, 

 and dense it is an excellent indication of superior quality 

 throughout. Other than in the head, body, and legs of the 

 horse the skeleton is somewhat deceiving in the lines which 

 a finished animal possesses because of the relatively large 

 amount of muscle compared with the bone tissue. 



Relation of Form to Utility. The value of a horse is funda- 

 mentally based on the structure which governs or defines 

 the type. The make or build of a horse is closely analogous 

 or suggestive of the work which it can do. The draft horse 

 with a long, broad, deep body, short, stout legs, all involved 

 in securing weight and massiveness, is suggestive of power 

 or work at a comparatively slow pace. The close-knit, sym- 

 metrical, smooth-turned, refined, heavy harness horse is 

 suggestive of style and action at the expense of both the 

 maximum work of the draft horse and the speed of the light 

 harness horse. The latter, although of two distinct types, is 

 generally suggestive of more speed and less style than in the 

 heavy harness horse. Although the light harness horse is 

 a comparatively smooth-turned, symmetrical animal, the 

 deeper, narrower body, longer legs, and less pronounced scale 

 are all indicative of speed qualifications. The saddle horse, 

 with a short back, light forehand development, high withers 

 and sloping shoulders, is suggestive of an animal with weight- 

 carrying capacity. Likewise the pony, which is typified in 

 the Shetland and Welsh breeds, is indicative of less draft 

 and slower going, comparatively speaking, than in the other 

 types mentioned. 



The draft horse with weight and massiveness, in contra- 

 distinction to the light horse with a lithe, rangy form, is 

 capable of developing power instead of show or speed in 

 their various phases. A detailed study of the horse for 

 these reasons is not only desirable from a general viewpoint, 

 but necessary to understand the various applications in 

 work and pleasure. 



