CHAPTER I. 

 JUDGING HORSES. 



To furnish reasons for many of the points that will be 

 submitted in discussing the types of horses, it becomes nec- 

 essary to consider the horse as a mechanism in which the 

 bones are levers, the muscles the source of power aud the 

 nervous system the stimulator of the muscles. 



I. THE ANATOMY A BASIS OF STUDY. 



1. The Bones as Levers. The three classes of levers 

 are all represented in the anatomy of the horse. The first 

 class may be fittingly illustrated by a pair of scissors ; the 

 power is applied at the holes for the fingers, the fulcrum is 

 in the center where the blades are united and the applica- 

 tion of the power is at the points. This is the strongest, 

 form of leverage and it is employed in the skeleton of the 

 horse by the parts involved in the extension of the limbs. 



The lever of the second class may be said to be clearly 

 represented by a wheelbarrow. The power is applied at 

 the handle, the weight is in the center and the application 

 of the power is at the wheel. This leverage in the horse 

 enables it to sleep standing or to stand without feeling 

 much strain. It is in action in such parts as that in the 

 region of the humerus. 



The leverage of the third class is represented by a pair 

 of sheep shears. The power is applied at the center, the 

 fulcrum is at one end and the application of the power is 

 at the other. This leverage is not common but it is shown 

 in the action of the lower jaw of the horse. The masseter 



