2 BULLETIN •187, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF ACRICULTURE. 



It is not likely that all members of any class will develop into 

 experts in horse judging. Only a comparative few may have the 

 inherited talents, which with years of training will rank them as 

 . masters in the prize ring. It is not the aim of the high-school course 

 to develop specialists. It should strive, however, to give such in- 

 struction as will create a greater interest in the subject and such 

 training as may be applied with profit in buying and selling horses 

 for the farm. 



Common method of training. — Boys who have an inborn love for 

 and interest in horses take notice of each horse they see, intuitively 

 making comparisons and estimates of values. Such boys are fortu- 

 nate indeed if they have the privilege of associating with men who 

 know horses well, and the opportunity of attending fairs and visit- 

 ing other places where good individuals may be seen. Careful obser- 

 vation with large numbers has resulted in remarkable ability on the 

 part of some of these enthusiasts, which has been of great value in 

 making comparisons in the show ring and in estimating values at 

 sales. School work in judging will not take the place of general ob- 

 servation and constant practice, but should supplement it and inspire 

 it in the case of those who may lack interest. 



Classroom instruction v. practice. — Although stock judging is 

 essentially an art to be learned by practice, under supervision, it is 

 based upon scientific principles which should be given careful study. 

 A discussion of the principles underlying the judging of draft horses 

 should be taken up in the classroom before practical judging begins. 

 The ideals of to-day are the types of to-morrow, hence the importance 

 of establishing in the minds of future judges sound ideals based upon 

 scientific principles. A discussion of principles and points arising in 

 practice may be profitable in the presence of the animal judged, but 

 as a matter of convenience such discussion is often deferred until the 

 next classroom meeting. 



I se <>f illustrative material. — The teacher should keep in mind 

 that the student learns largely through what he sees. In establishing 

 ideals of animal types nothing has value equal to living specimens 

 which approach perfection. Inasmuch as horses which approach 

 ideal types are not common nor convenient to keep before the 

 students, the teacher should make use of an abundance of illustrative 

 material. Pictures of prize winners appear from time to time in all 

 good live-stock journals. (Fig. 1.) If files are not kept of these 

 papers the good pictures should be clipped and mounted upon cards 

 for classroom use. A projection lantern with an opaque attachment 

 will be found invaluable in this work. 1 



1 Lanfprn slides illustrating types and breeds of horses, including the illustrations of 

 this bulletin, may be obtained from the office of Agricultural Instruction of the States 

 Relations Service. Charts and stencils for use on blackboards may be made by tracing 

 the outline of a diagram thrown on paper by a lantern. 



