Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-11-16
Fig. 8. Points of the Horse.

BY DR.. G. A. Lueder. Instructor In va
Urinary Science, West Virginia Uns
versity.
Perhaps in no other line Of agricul
tural work has there Deen such lace
of systematic study as in horse breed
ing. Farmers have simply bred ano
reared horses without any regard !"
the demand of the consumer. AS s
result the horse market has often beer
flooded and the prices been so low
that the farmers have sold all then
animals at low price simply to gel
rid Of them. In ten years horses have
become scarce and hard to get at any
price. Then a reaction took place anc
the farmers are once more breeding
in the same old haphazard way ano
unless something is done to procure
better sires and dams. history will re
peat itself.
The heavy draft horse is one OF the
most profitable classes OF horses thai
a farmer can raise. In judging draft
horse there are six main heads thai
must be observed closely, namely, gen
eral appearance, head and neck, fore
quarters, body, headquarters and sex
ual organs. These heads are each sub
divided into several minor points
which must be observed and studied
from all angles in systematic way II
order to be able to take advantage
and pick out the good and bad quail
ties Of draft horse.
The general appearance is 1udgec
by standing away from the horse
about twenty feet and looking at him
from both sides and both ends. EST
mate in your own mind the weight ano
height, observe closely the genera
form and conformation This is the
most important quality Of good draft
horse. See that he Is broad, smooth
massive, symmetrical, square-bodiec
individual with all bony projections as
haunch, stiles, shoulders, and arounc
the eyes, we'll covered with flesh. The
skin must be mellow, hair smooth anc
fine. Every action Of the horse mus
be observed with the utmost care
The stride must be regular, straight
long, elastic and fast. The trol
straight, springy, free, and the fee'
must be we'll set on the ground
While watching all the above quail
ties, the temperament must be OBJ
served closely. See the expression II
the eyes, and the carriage of the ears
which very often indicate the DISPOSE
ton.
The head and neck are two very i'm
portant points which must be careful
ly observed. The head must be clear
cut, we'll carried, profile straight ane
in proportion to the size Of the body
The eyes are of much importance
and should be examined with utmos'
care. Back the horse under a darg
or shady shed with head to the light
Place the hand over the eye and keel
1t dark for about thirty seconds. Their
remove it and watch the expansion
and contractions Of the pupil which
designates a perfect sight. They
must be of the same color and clip
teal in shape. A spherical eye indi
Gates poor sight, or maybe blindness
The forehead must be full and clean
Examine the top of the head for any
swellings or engagements as POI
Evil" The ears must be medium II
size, we'll carried forward and alert /;
Jaws clean, uniform, and straight
The fore-quarters are most impor
tant factor in a good draft horse, es
pecially the shoulders. They must be
smoothly muscled, moderately slopins
and extending well into the back. The
arms are short and heavily muscled
while the forearm should be longer
and from a side view should be wide
clean and we'll muscled. In viewing
the knees from the front they should
be wide and straight; from the side
straight, deep, strong, clean and web
supported. The cannons should be
straight and short. while the tendont
running down the back should be
large, clean, strong and we'll set back
from the bone, making the side view
wide and strong. The pasterns should
be moderately sloping, clean and
showing great strength. The feet
should all be even in size; the horn
thick and dense and not inclined to be
brittle. The toes straight, not turned
in or out; soles convex; bars strong;