GENERAL EXAMINATION 47 



is properly viewed the student or tlac prospective purchaser 

 will not allow any important point to pass unnoticed on the 

 first examination. This is very important in judging, as 

 first impressions are always valuable. If a judge allows 

 himself to get in the habit of returning the second or third 

 time to reinforce his previous impressions, he is very likely 

 to become biased or render faulty decisions. For this 

 reason every part of the animal in view from any particular 

 angle or position should come criticially under the eye of the 

 judge. Much of the work can be done by taking certain 

 standard points of view and make it a practice to get 

 all the information desired from the first examination. If 

 the class of animals is properly arranged for judging this 

 can be done conveniently. It will save much annoyance 

 to the judge, the animals, and the spectators. 



Front. — ^The first view of an animal should always be from 

 the front, as many of the impressions gotten from this posi- 

 tion will enable the judge to eliminate undesirable animals 

 immediately. While this statement has qualifications, it is 

 true in a large measure, and especially so with pure-bred 

 stock where breed type enters largely into consideration. 

 The head is an excellent index of what may be expected 

 in the animal when viewed from the side or rear. Animals 

 with strong breeding qualities as a general rule have very 

 characteristic clear-cut features about the head. From 

 the front view the shape and character of the head, neck, 

 width and depth of chest, set of legs and feet, and the 

 quality of all of these parts may be determined without 

 actually handling the animal. While it may be difficult 

 for the beginner to keep from handling, such a practice 

 will ultimately lead to undesirable results. In making a 

 critical study of the head, the length and width should be 

 determined, especially between the eyes and across the 

 forehead because of the special significance of a strong 

 development in these parts. A broad head indicates intelli- 

 gence and a mild or kindly disposition. This is especially so 

 in the horse, because docility and intelligence are naturally 

 looked for in such animals. However, it is no less important 

 in cattle, swine or sheep, as a broad, clearly defined head 



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