e]

The horse's foot makes an interesting study. The horny outside protects
the foot from mud, ice, and stones. Inside the hoof are the bones and
gristle that serve as cushions to diminish the shock received while
walking or running on hard roads or streets. When shoeing the horse the
frog should not be touched with the knife. It is very seldom that any
cutting need be done. Many blacksmiths do not know this and often
greatly injure the foot.

Since the horse has but a small stomach, the food given should not be
too bulky. In proportion to the horse's size, its grain ration should be
larger than that of other animals. Draft horses and mules, however, can
be fed a more bulky ration than other horses, because they have larger
stomachs and consequently have more room to store food.

[Illustration: FIG. 246. HOW TO MEASURE A HORSE]

The horse should be groomed every day. This keeps the pores of the skin
open and the hair bright and glossy. When horses are working hard, the
harness should be removed during the noon hour. During the cool seasons
of the year, whenever a horse is wet with sweat, it should on stopping
work, or when standing for awhile, be blanketed, for the animal is as
liable as man to get cold in a draft or from moisture evaporating
rapidly from its skin.

EXERCISE

If the pupil will take an ordinary tape measure, he can make some
measurements of the horse that will be very interesting as well as
profitable. Let him measure:

1. The height of the horse at the withers, 1 to 1.
2. The height of the horse at croup, 2 to 2.
3. Length of shoulder, 1 to 3.
4. Length of back, 4.
5. Length of head, 5.
6. Depth of body, 6 to 6.
7. Daylight under body, 7 to 7.
8. Distance from point of shoulder to quarter, 3 to 3.
9. Width of forehead.
10. Width between hips.

NOTE. Many interesting comparisons can be made (1) by
measuring several horses; (2) by studying the proportion between
parts of the same horse.

PROPORTIONS OF A HORSE

1. How many times longer is the body than the head? Do you get the
same result from different horses?

2. How does the height at the withers compare with the height at
the croup?

3. How do these compare with the distance from quarter to shoulder?

4. How does the length of the head compare with the thickness of
the body and with the open space, or "dayli