134 



JUDGING LIGHT HORSES 



body should be round, the ribs well sprung, the coupling 

 short, and otherwise full, smooth, and close knit in form. 

 The legs should be straight, strong, the joints well defined, 

 the bone hard, smooth, and dense, and the tendons should 

 extend well back from the bone, thus giving a square, clean- 

 cut, well-defined appearance. Viewed from any angle the 

 heavy harness horse should be a model of style, smoothness 

 symmetry, and action. Rough, undefined joints or other 

 parts of the body so defined detract seriously from the 

 value of animals belonging to this type. Quality, as indicated 

 in the bone, hair, and general refining attributes, is impor- 

 tant. Rotundity of form, smoothness, symmetry, general 



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Fig. 43. — The coach type. 



refinement, and action with extreme flexion are the important 

 attributes of this group or type. 



Quality. — The quality of the heavy harness horse is one 

 of the chief attributes. Combined with smoothness and 

 extreme finish it constitutes one of the real fundamentals 

 in judging heavy harness horses. Without quality and the 

 usually associated style and prominent carriage, animals pur- 

 porting to represent this type would not only be objectionable 

 but ordinarily disqualified. Representatives of the type 

 should be able to appear and act in accordance with the 

 highest qualifications of show ring judging. 



Temperament. — The temperament of the heavy harness 

 horse should be lively and characteristic of continued display 



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