Draught Horse Points.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 92, 24 July 1908, Page 3

Draught Horse Points.

Hitherto knowledge of the draught horse has not been extensive among the rank and file breeders. Were it so one would not find <sa much breeding resulting in the production of so many inferior animals as are met with in.the streets and on the roads. Every breeder should make a study of the conformation of the horse and refrain from breeding from stallions that are not built on proper lines. The construction and set of the hind legs is of vital importance in the draught horse. A great many of the diseases to be found in these regions are due to a wrong set of limbs, in, a correctly formed hind limb, viewing itfrorn the side, a line dropped from the hindmost point, of the slope should strike the top of the hock and continue parallel with it until the pasternd joint is reached. Speaking to a meeting of horse-breeders on the subject, Professor Kennedy 'of the lowa Agricultural College, said that if the conformation of the leg be such that the. lower part of the leg is thrown under the body, thus makingit more subject to strain of a tendon or hock, it is termed suckled hock, and it is very likely to become curby. It the or" isite tontoimation le pit. Nt \ he 'h ] -. <_\unrN L"< 1 - n C d lip 1 1 s 1 l-niou i\ civ.se I 1 -*■ i t =1 idi < H b< -, s li J t 1 1 e tlu v. ' 1 op n ks ic \ ' \ lf il lib tA x « . d I Li ( n 1 1 d . ' 1 ' ' 1 ' l f ! , 1 (. ( II 1 \ 1 <- ( m r I 11 L I < 1 ' I 1 wide all con uucad 01 d ou -,i_ i 1 , which indicates ability to wear well.

The action of a dr~.;\a;ht horse is a la a aian it d/rnu V.y did. A horse Le> \vaiio and also a-;;'; iVdrJy weii. Length c d :■;;■/':('c, and slrnightncss of stride, are ta:o most important points to be considered at the wall-:. Height of action and fiashiness are attractive, but not necessarily . utility points. Winging, padding, or rolling action in front, and wabbling hocks, are all features which every good horseman condemns.