The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-12-05
TOPICS FOR THEFARM.

Judging Draft Horses.-We deem
this a good time (says the LiUe Stock
JourndD to enter a protest against the
prevailing custom of judging draft
horses in the show ring mainly with
reference to weight, as n would Judge
a group of fat oxen prepared for the
butchers block. In the latter case, the
quantity and quality of the meat are
the primary considerations; but we fail
to see why such a test should be applied
to the former. We don't eat horse flesh
in this country, consequently mere
weight of carcass is of no value, except
as it gives greater ability to draw a
heavy load; and if this weight be made
simply of an accumulation Of adipose
tissue (fat), it is a positive cumbrance
rather than a help, and should be
judged accordingly.
There can be no question thatsize is an
all important feature ina draught horse,
but to be of value the desired weight
must be made up of other tissues than
fat. Bone and muscle must form an
important part in making upthe weight
and even here we cannot depend upon
the tape lines nor the scales to make an
average. The quality of each is a vital
consideration. If the indications are
that the bony tissue is of a soft, spongy,
porous nature, if the joints are gummy
and defective, or the muscles 1abby and
ill-placed, the hoofs fiat and brittle OF
too much contracted, or if the DISPOSE
ton be sluggish and dull, like that Of
an OK, no amount of mere weight should
be permitted to atone for such serious
defects.
A good draft horse must possess
strong vital organs, which fact is usually
indicated by the form and relative sizt
of the trunk. His joints and legs mus
be strongand perfect, free from curbs anC
spavins, the skin lying close and firm Il
hard and elastic cords, with an entir,
absence of beef upon these parts. Til,
feet should be large, neither fiat mo-
mule-shaped, the horn hard and elastic
but not brittle. The bottom of the foo
should be examined to see that it pos
sesses the desired concave appearance
and that the frog doesits work perfectly
because it is in the feet that our heav,
draft horses are most VIGOROUSLY de
f~ective. As we have said in a forme
number of the Journal, the principal re
quisite of a good draft horse is, GOO
size, made up without a superabundanc
Of fat; but to this must be adde'
docility, soundness and endurance
Given all the valuable qualities abov
described in perfection, and then tn
more action and style he possesses tn
better. He may be nearly perfect in a
respects, and yet be too small to b
classed az a first-class draft horse. o
the other hand, he may weigh a tor
but if the weight be made up mainly Z
fat, or if he be ill-tempered, unsound Z
lacking in endurance, his value
materially lessened. He may posses
all the points above enumerated and ye
be SO deficient in energy and 50 heay
and sluggish in his movements as I
come far short of a perfect draft hors
When called upon to act as a judge j
this class the intelligent horseman wi
give due prominence to all these poin
and will not be deceived by mere mea
urement or weight; the true test beir
the comparative adaptation of the an
mails to perform the work which pc
tains to the class in which they a
shown.