PRODUCTIVE 

 HORSE HUSBANDRY 



CHAPTER I 

 THE HORSE— A MACHINE 



A horse's usefulness depends upon his power of locomotion, 

 A. clear conception of his simple mechanical features affords thp 

 best means of measuring his serviceability. 



As a mechanical structure the horse consists chiefly of an 

 arch, represented by his vertebrse, supported upon four upright 

 columns, his legs. The balance of this arch is largely determined 



Fig. 1. — Hind legs, propellers; forelegs, supportive to the extent of lifting the forehand. 



by the position of the appended head and neck at one end, and 

 the tail at the other. In the standing position all four legs have 

 a supporting function, although greater weight is borne by the 

 forelegs. In locomotion the hind legs are propellers, the forelegs 

 retaining their supportive function, the degree of which is in- 

 creased to the extent of constituting a lift (Fig. 1). The pro- 



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