WILAT SHAPE SHOULD A LIORSE BE? 127 
4. Gaits.—Take one or more horses and cause them to walk, trot 
and gallop. Try to follow the movement of the fect as explained in 
paragraphs 9, 10 and 12 oy Lesson XI. Also note the difference 
in the regularity and clasticity with which different horses execute 
the same gait. Observe them from front, side and rear. 
5. ATTITUDES.—Secure one or more plumb bobs or pieces of lead 
attached to a stout cord 5 feet long. Place the cord at the point 
of the shoulder, and note whether it divides the knee into two halves 
and falls at the point of the toe. Determine whether the distance 
between the two front feet is equal to the width of either foot. 
Drop the plumb line from the center of the elbow, and note whether 
fore arm and cannon are vertical, as indicated by cord bisecting 
knee and fetlock and falling just behind the heel. Measure the dis- 
tance between the point of the shoulder and the front of the elbow. 
Locate a point half way between. The plumb bob dropped from 
this point should be in line with the center of the foot. Drop to 
plumb bob from the point of the fetlock and note whether hock and 
fetlock are adjacent to cord, making cannon vertical. Measure dis- 
tance between hind feet and determine how nearly the measurement 
corresponds to the width of the hock. If the hind feet are too far 
under the horse, too much of the weight is placed upon the hind 
members. This is especially bad for the hocks. If the front feet 
are under too much, weight is thrown upon them, causing them to 
wear out sooner. If a horse stands with his front feet too far 
forward, it may indicate he is lame in one or both front feet. 
6. Form.—There are several regions of the body which in an 
ideal prize-winning animal should be equal to the length of the 
horse’s head. ‘Have students take these measurements on one or 
more horses, as follows: . 
Length of head i 
Length of neck ——. 
Length of shoulder ——. 
From back angle of shoulder to hip ——. 
From point of hock to ground ——. 
There are three measurements in the horse that should be the 
same in horses of good conformation, and each two and one-half 
times the length of the head. Have measurements taken as follows: 
Height at withers ; 
Height at croup -——. 
From point of shoulder to buttock ; 
In draft horses the tendency is for the length to be greater than 
the height, while in running horses the height may be greater than 
the length. 
7. SrLectinc Horses—Secure not less than three nor more than 
five horses of any one type or breed. Have each student place the 
horses in the order of merit for the puzpose for which they are in- 
tended. Give reasons based upon the discussion in the text. Any 
special defects or unsoundness should be noted. 
