The Cook County herald., 1905-12-16
L.
STOCK
Better Judging Needed.

Better Judging Needed.
Watching judges Of horses at their
work at the state fairs it becomes ap.
parent that in very many cases insult
ficient attention is paid to soundness
as requisite OF winners in the
breeding rings. It would seem that
some Of the judges see prominent un.
soundnesses. but dislike to throw out
animals on that account, as rules are
not strict in this connection, and to re-
ject the unsound horse would be to get
into trouble with the exhibitor and
eventually with the management. 9th
er judges do not see ~unsoundnesses,
and, indeed, either do not look for
them or are not educated as to loca-
ton and appearance of some of the
st common defects. Not long since
we watched judge going over several
classes OF draft horses, and his lack
OF attention to unsoundness was not
only woeful, but positively unfair to
the exhibitors. This is plain Ian.
guage, but it is deserved, when we
state that stallion was placed fourth
although he had huge ringbones on
one hind pastern and an enlarged
fetlock on the same limb, which was
not handled perfectly. The judge
placed this horse over several animals
that were at least sound and to all
appearances quite as good in other
ways as the one chosen for honor,
writes A. s. Alexander in Farmers
Review.
An unsound horse should be dis
classed, no matter how perfect he may
happen to be in show points. He is
intended for breeding purposes, and
if affected with a disease such as
ringbone. which is notoriously heredi.
tary. or any other disease of similar
seriousness, he should be sent to the
stable before the judging commences.
In order to do this, veterinary inspec-
ton Is required, and we are fast com.
ing to the time when that must be
Instituted at every great horse show.
We have temporized with this matter
too long as 1t is, and although alleged
veterinary inspection has been pro-
v1ded for at some of the horse shows
1t has not been carried out to the let
ter. and. indeed. has seldom been re.
sorted to. except at the request of a
judge who has found something that
he did not feel like dealing with per.
sonally.
Expert veterinary inspection is prac-
ticed at every great show of horses
in Great Britain and doubtless in Eu.
rope also. the result being that horses
exposed In the Judging ring are known
to be sound. and the judge has not to
decide such matters. At the last
chow OF Shire horses in London, En".
-, many horses were rejected II ~
each class. but the work was done in
private and prior to the adjudication
of prizes. One Of the great live stock
papers of that country in reporting
the show stated, as regards each class,
Just how many horses went before the
veterinary examiners and how many
OF them came back to enter the com.
petition after being pronounced sound.
In some instances, If our memory
serves US Alright, as many as five
horses were rejected from a single
class.
This IS good work, and II done in
each country from whence come pure
bred stations to America it cOnduces
to the breeding Of sound horses locally,
but throws out numbers Of unsound
horses that cannot be used in their
own country, because pronounced un-
sound. but which too often sell at a
figure that just suits the importer,
who forthwith imposes them upon our
breeders at fancy prices and possibly
on the prestige of foreign show win
ninss earned before they turned un.
sound. These are in many cases the
very horses our leniem judges fail
to reject at our state fairs and other
shows.
The unsound horses we have seen
lately in the Judging ring were i'm.
ported horses. They were not blem-
ished horses, nor injured horses new
of the cars, but horses suffering from
unsoundnesses such a ringbone, side
bone. SPAWN. curb or chorea. They
should never have come across the
ocean. They should have been re-
iected at the sea board, but as the
government pays no attention to such
matters the rejecting work should
have been done in the first judging
ring entered in this country, or, bet
ter still, veterinary inspection should
have excluded them from competition.
We have been speaking plainly. for
there is no sense In CLOSING over mat
tors OF such vital importance. The
question should be taken up at once
and in real earnest, for 1t cannot
longer be safely overlooked.
The Bacon Hog.
The English bacon hog Ia said RI ha