THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
September 2, 1907 
ee a Ny, 
QS 
Annual net Income, £594,370. 
NEW Zk ALAR ED 
Tmswuramnce Co... Ltd. 
This old Established Colonial Office covers every description of 
Fire, Marine, and Accident Business, 
At Lowest Rates. 
£6,000,000 paid in Claims. 
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH, 112 KING WILLIAM STREET, ADELAIDE. 
LOUIS E. WILSON, Manager. 
Active Agents Wanted. 
Points of the Draught Horse. 
In h’s recent bulletin on “The Prin- 
ciples and Practice of Horse-breeding,”’ 
the noted American authority, Dr. A. S: 
Alexander, of the University of Wisconsin, 
explains as follows some of the points 
and characteristics of the typical draught 
horse :— 
Height.—A typical draught horse should 
stard sixteen hands high, or somewhat 
over that height, Extra tall, leggy 
draughters, deficient in weight, width, 
and quality, are unliked in the market, 
and many of them are prone to chorea 
(St. Vitus’ dance). Abnormally tall horess, 
unless wonderfully gocd in conformation, 
so that the height is not ungainly. are 
difficult to match, and, therefore, not in 
demard in the market. Such horses are 
ured for sfrgle work, or as the middle 
horse of a three-horse team for hauling 
coal, etc. 
Weight.—A diaught horseshculd weigh 
1,€00]b. upwards. Weight is absolutely 
necessa1y ior the hauling of heavy loads. 
Tt enables the horse to derive full benefit 
from the strength of his muscles and 
tendons, adds to the effect of his levers 
in motion, and gives him a firm grip upen 
the grcund, It is a kurden, and practi- 
cally useless, when not associated with 
perfectly developed, exercised muscles; so 
far as actual work is concerned, but is 
requisite in every draught horse offered 
upon the market if he is to ccmmand a 
high price. Where the fi ame shows adapt- 
ability in a thin horse to put on flesh, he 
is kought by the professional feeder. who 
finishes him for the market. Ina well- 
developed draught horse extra condition 
is considered worth 25 cents per pound in 
the Chicago market. For practical pur. 
poses the great weight of a draught horse 
shculd be made up of large, strong bones, 
and powerful muscles throughout the 
frame. Fat should be discounted in buying 
a draught horse for work, and, in judging, 
one should note development of muscle 
rather than wealth of flesh and fat. A 
typical draught horse should weigh 1,600 — 
lb, or over when deprived of the condition 
reforred to. : 
'Form,—The entire make-up of the 
draught horse should suggest strength for 
heavy hauling. He should be broad, deep. 
thick, round, with each part in keeping 
with its neighboring parts, giving an ap- 
pearance of symmetry and massiveuess, 
He should te low-down, blocky, and com- 
pact, on short, strong-boned, clean legs, 
showing marked prominence and deyel. p- 
ment of tendons, and the legs should be 
properly placed and set to secure correct, 
straight action at the walk or trot. 
Quality —This term applies to evident 
refinement in character of skin, muscles, 
bone, tendons, and hair. It infers, also, 
aristocratic breeding. and all the attri- 
butes of pure blood. It is indicated by 
high spirits, vigor, sprightly action, en- 
durance, stamina, and intelligence, and is 
plainly indicatcd when the legs are free 
fr‘m meatiness, appear broad, flat, 
‘clefty,’ and, if furnished with ‘ feather,’ 
the hair under knees and hocks springs 
-as a silky fringe from the rear of the 
tendcns. Quality offsets grossness, and 
ecmbincs grace with great weight and 
power in the best types of draught horess. 
Action.—A draught horse will have to 
do most of his hard work at a walking 
gait. It is, therefore, of <upreme import- 
ance that he should be able to walk fast 
without tiring, and in order to do this 
his action must ke perfectly straight and 
level, The joints must be easily and fully 
flexed, ihe feet must advance and be set 
down withont deviations from a straight 
line. The soles of the feet should turn 
up and show plainly to the judge as the 
horse goes from him, at both walk and 
trot. The feet should he lifted quickly, 
fully, and rhythmically, and set down 
squarely and firmly, There should ke no 
paddling, dishing, cutting, cr interfering, 
nor should the fore legs roll or the hind 
legs be carried too close together or tco 
far apart, In judging of action note the 
movements of each leg and foot, the 
handling of each joint, and the carriage 
of the entire body as the horse walks and 
trots arourd an enclosure, from the ob- 
server and to him. Lameness should be 
absent, The hocks should be carried well 
together. Rolling in front is due to too 
great width of chest, Stubby, stilty action 
in front indicates strai, ht or too upright 
pasterns or shoulders, foot troubles, or 
weak knees. Similar action of the hind 
legs indicates upright pasterns, unsound 
feet, hock disease, weak stifles, hip weak- 
ness or kidney troubles. Knee and hock 
action should both be free and compara- 
tively high. ; 
Temperament.—A draught horse should 
have an energetic disposition, but should 
be free from vice, docile, tractable, and 
intelligent. Sluggishness, associated with 
obesity, is objectionable, and induces 
diseases such as ‘ grease,’ eczema, and 
‘lymphangitis.’ 
Troublesome Light-harness Horses. 
Some light horses have the trying fault 
of jibbing, or refusing to draw. This 
characteristic is not wonderful, seeing 
that only in modern times have many 
strains of light horses wern a collar, and 
the wonder is rather that they take it so- 
kindly. The nearer the thoroughbred 
they are the more liable to object to the: 
_ colar. 
first, pull your hat off your head, but he- 
One that I bred would not, at 
eventually made a good, sharp, well- 
behaved trapper. The prevailing principle 
is patience. Never let him see nor hear a. 
whip, or you will confirm his bad habits. 
I went further than that I put him as 
wheeler in a tall tandem cart, and hooked 
in front of him a fast, straight leader that 
_ started the trap, and then all went well. 
A jibber is not necessarily an idle horse 
that shirks his share of the draught, as. 
when the load is once started he will 
often do more work than his willing com- 
panion, 
or wagon isa splendid place fora cold- 
collared horse, and whether he does. 
rightly or wrongly he must always be 
petted, this being the only road to abso- 
late cure. Besides the never-failing prin- 
ciple of patience and kindness, there is. 
always the reduction of nervous energy 
by hard work, A ride and drive type of 
horse which objects to harness should be 
hunted or otherwise ridden until he is 
weary, and he will then be less des- 
perate in his fight against that which he 
considers the indignity of harness work. 
Ride him long hours, and on arrival home 
put him in harness for ten minutes, and 
~he soon sees that harness is as comfortable 
as saddle work.—From the * Farmer and 
Stockbrveder.’ 
Any pair-horse driving carriage. 
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