214 MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



bay, brown and roan are frequently found. Grays are 

 not in favor and not often found. The Belgian is much 

 praised for his superior temperament. This kind dis- 

 position is due, in part at least, to the fact that the breed 

 has been developed on small farms, so that the horses 

 were in close relationship, with the everyday life of the 

 people. 



The head is of good size, face straight, nostrils large, 

 but eyes rather small and not very prominent. The ears 

 are small, set wide apart and generally well carried. The 

 neck is short, very thick and well crested. The shoulders 

 are upright, strong and heavily, muscled. The chest is 

 deep and wide, giving a very large girth. The ribs are 

 long, well sprung and closely coupled at the loin, giving 

 a better body than is found in any other breed of draft 

 horses. 



The back is short and very broad, but is often in- 

 clined to sway more than is desired. The rump is 

 short, very wide and muscular, but is inclined to be steep 

 with the tail attached low, although well carried. In 

 fact the head, neck and rump suggest the French breeds 

 in general appearance. The quarters and thighs arc 

 heavily muscled. The hocks are rounded, lacking defini- 

 tion, and the legs, though short and devoid of long hair, 

 are rather thick, and the tendons and bones lack defini- 

 tion. The pasterns are often rather short and straight, 

 which, in connection with hoofs inclined to be straight, 

 give a rather short and stilted action, although good 

 action is claimed for the better specimens. 



Criticisms of the Belgian. — American breeders state that 

 the conformation and quality of the legs are not all that 

 could be expected. Often the bones of the legs lack suf- 

 ficient substance to support the body weight and with- 

 stand the severest of labor. It is also stated that the 

 rather straight pasterns and feet often predispose the 

 lower legs to disease, which is aggravated all the more 

 by narrow and high heels. Frequently the hocks do not 



