IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL HORSES. 753 
tion with a due regard to Age, Conformation, and Sound¬ 
ness. 
The Ages of the animals employed for stock purposes 
will vary very considerably, and so long as full vigour is 
retained we do not care to impose any restrictions.* Breed¬ 
ing from young and immature animals is a practice opposed 
to all correct principles, but after the adult period is reached 
it is a matter of comparative indifference how soon after¬ 
wards they are employed, or how long they are continued in 
the capacity of stock-producers within the limit which nature 
assigns. The appearances consequent upon impaired vigour 
and general deficiency of vitality are easily recognised, and 
definitely fix the period at which the animals cease to be 
valuable, and beyond w’hich they cannot be consistently 
used; these indications are not apparent at any particular 
time in the animal’s existence, but depend upon original 
strength of constitution, as well as the character of the treat¬ 
ment to which the horse has been subjected. It is not 
uncommon for bulls to be used at the age of a year or a little 
over, and to be entirely worn out in a few^ years’ time, w’hile 
among horses, some of our thoroughbreds, after a long career 
upon the turf, are found in full vigour as stock-horses long 
after twenty. 
Conformation will vary in all the varieties of heavy and 
light draught breeds, but the same type or standard of per¬ 
fection will be kept in view. A finely-formed, rather small 
head, clean expansive nostrils, full clear eyes, and broad 
forehead, will give a head which can scarcely be found fault 
w'ith. The neck should be moderately short, curving gra¬ 
dually into the chest without any sudden or angular lines; 
the curve of the back should be little removed from the 
straight line, particularly if the body be long; the shoulders 
ought to fall properly back, as in the best-formed horses of 
other breeds. The arguments we have heard in favour of 
the straight shoulder for the draught-horse, based on the 
idea that such conformation gives a tendency to fall forward, 
and thus assists him in moving the load, would meet with 
our hearty concurrence if we desired to produce a race with 
a decided predisposition to broken knees; but, in the absence 
of such a wish, we cannot advocate so palpable a defect in 
form. The tendency to fall consequent upon such a pecu¬ 
liarity we do not for a moment doubt, but the advantage of 
fostering such a tendency we altogether dispute. A proper 
obliquity of shoulder is favorable to muscular action, and 
* It is considered bad policy to select both parents of great age. 
