34 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



The chest should be deep, wide, and full. Its depth is about 

 one-half height of horse. Horses slack in the heart girth are 

 generally of weak constitution. Exceptional width in the chest 

 is likely to result in rolling and paddling motion of the fore legs. 



Shoulders. — Among heavy horses, the shoulder should be 

 moderately sloping into the back and heavily muscled. The 

 statement is made that upright shoulders give increased power, 

 but such a conformation increases the concussion of the bones 

 and may result in unsound limbs ; it also increases the length 

 of the back, which may result in weakness ; and the step is 

 short and the action stilted. 



The arm should be short, heavily muscled, and sloping well 

 to the rear, thus giving the animal a massive and low-set ap- 

 pearance. 



Fore-arms. — • Among draft horses, the fore-arms should be 

 wide, heavily muscled, and large. As in the light type, the 

 muscling affords a safe guide to the muscle development of the 

 animal, as it is not padded with fat. 



The knees should be broad and well defined . While the knees of 

 heavy animals may not be as clean cut as among lighter horses, 

 yet there should be a freedom from puffiness and gumminess. 



The cannon should be short, wide, clean, and the tendons 

 well detached. The Clydesdales and Shires have a fringe of 

 hair, called "feather," starting from the knee and hock behind 

 and extending to the fetlock. The "feather" often furnishes 

 an index to the quahty, as coarse hair is associated with coarse, 

 thick skin, which indicates coarse, porous bone. On the other 

 hand, fine, soft hair is commonly accepted as an indication of good 

 quality. 



Pasterns. — Among draft horses the pasterns should be slop- 

 ing, strong, and of medium length. Horses of this type often 

 possess pasterns that are too short and too straight. This con- 

 formation lacks springiness, the concussion comes more on the 

 ends of the bones, resulting in ring-bones, side-bones, and the 



