THE DRAFT BREEDS OF HORSES 31 
teristic markings than most of the other draft breeds, 
but in uniformity of type there is a striking similarity 
among the best. The head is almost invariably intelli- 
gent. The shoulder is exceptionally good, which gives 
a free, easy, long stride. It is somewhat oblique, accom- 
panied by high withers. The arm is usually well mus- 
cled, and the bone clean and flat. The feather (hair on 
the legs) in horses of the best quality springs from the 
edge of the cannon, 
and is fine, silky 
and long. It is not 
considered of much 
importance in itself, 
but is valued for 
what it indicates. 
The assertion is 
made that a proper 
feather protects the 
coronet and back 
part of the pastern 
from filth and mud, Fia. 4. — Clydesdale stallion, Baron’s Pride, 
leading sire of the breed. 
and, consequently, is 
preventative of scratches. It has often been objected to 
in America. At any rate, the feather, when fine, indi- 
cates that the other tissues, the bone and skin, are also 
of fine texture. Conversely, when the feather is wiry and 
coarse and curly in this region, it surely denotes a leg 
predisposed to grease or scratches. The pastern and feet 
have been vastly improved in this breed in recent years, 
owing to the demand for more slope and length in the 
former and larger hoof heads in the latter. The same is 
true to a degree in regard to the coupling, which at one 
time was considered the weakness of the breed, attribut- 
