24 JUDGING LIGHT HORSES 



33. Shoulders Long, Oblique. The conformation of 

 the shoulder is one of the parts of all light horses that re- 

 quires critical scanning. To give elasticity to the move- 

 ment of saddle horses and to permit of quick and clean 

 action in the roadster, the shoulder should be long and 

 oblique. An upright shoulder is very likely to result in 

 short, stilted action, frequently accompanied by stumbling, 

 and it is quite a fertile cause of such bone diseases as side- 

 bones and ringbones. The high action which is desired in 

 the coach horse and the long reaching, clean action so 

 sought after in the roadster depends as much on the ob- 

 liquity and freedom of movement in the shoulder, as in 

 any other feature. In addition, a sloping and long shoulder 

 strengthens the back and extends the length of the under- 

 line. The muscular development of the shoulder should 

 also be carefully noted, for if there is an unusual bareness 

 or lack of muscular covering it would denote the fact that 

 sweeny has affected it. 



34. Fore Legs Broad, Cordy, Straight. The appear- 

 ance of the fore leg from the side should show it to be flat 

 and cordy. The flatness shows the tendons to be properly 

 attached and some distance from the bone and the clean cut 

 appearance denotes the absence of any coarseness about 

 the legs. Viewing the legs from in front and using a plumb 

 line it will be found in the instance of a leg that is straight, 

 that a perpendicular line downward from the point of the 

 shoulder, should equally divide the knee, cannon, pastern 

 and foot. Viewing the fore leg from the side, a similar 

 line dropped from the center of the leg at a point where 

 it joins the body should nearly divide the leg until the 

 fetlock joint is reached and from there to the ground it 

 should fall exactly behind the foot. Any variation from 

 these two lines shows crookedness from either point of view. 

 The leg should be long from the elbow to the knee, for the 

 reason that free and clean action follows such a conforma- 

 tion. In these parts it will be noticed that most of the 

 muscles extending and flexing the leg, are located between 



