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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Agricultural Experiment Station.

URBANA, FEBRUARY, 1901.

BULLETIN No. 62.

THE MARKET CLASSES OF HORSES.

BY E. DAVENPORT, M.AGR., PROFESSOR OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN THE

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY SPECIALIST IN

THE EXPERIMENT STATION.

According1 to the best estimates available only about sixty per
cent of the horses that make their way to the Chicago market fill
the requirements of the recognized market classes, leaving forty
per cent, as "unclassed."

MARKET CLASSES REPRESENT THE MOST USEFUL. TYPES. — From
the nature of the case the market classes represent all the types and
classes for which any general demand has asserted itself, and if
a new use should arise demanding a new type of horse, the attempt
to secure it would immediately give rise to a new market class.

Too MANY UNCLASSED HORSES. — While it is and always will
be true that the breeder will often fail to produce what he aims to
secure, nobody believes that his failures should amount to forty per
cent. The late veteran horse breeder, M. W. Dunham, said that in
his experience a good breeder working1 with good blood, though
aiming at comparatively high standards, should succeed seven
times out of ten. In making this statement he was alluding to
standards vastly higher than the average of those demanded in the
so-called market classes; therefore, according to his estimate more
than seventy per cent, of horses should fill market requirements, if
they were really bred to that end.

18 BULLETIN NO. 62 [February,

LACK OF STANDARDS IN BREEDING. — In as much as so large a
proportion fail to come to any valuable standard whatever, whether
the one they were bred for or some other, we are forced to infer
that horses are not produced for distinct purposes and bred to de-
finite ends as generally or as successfully as they should be; in
other words, that a large proportion of the forty per cent, is re-
movable and should be eliminated.

MARKET STANDARDS AND CLASSES OF HORSES NOT GENERALLY
KNOWN. — The most of the horses that supply the great markets are
produced upon the farms of the country and by farmers largely en-
gaged in crop raising and with other kinds of live stock. A some-
what extended study of the matter reveals the fact that few farm-
ers of this class have definite knowledge of the distinct classes re-
cognized in the markets or of the types and characters demanded
for each. They have therefore been working in the dark, having
no model in mind and no standard to breed to; and we are forced
to the conclusion that a large proportion of horses that are suited
to the market needs were produced not by design but by accident.
This is borne out not only by the forty per cent, of unclassed
horses that go to the markets but by the unnumbered mob of
"scalawags" that remains behind on the farms, too bad to sell and
kept "to raise colts."

This conclusive evidence of lack of standards in horse produc-
tion, together with the positive knowledge that farmers as a rule
do not know the market classes or their requirements, has led to the
publication of this bulletin, which is an attempt to define each
market class and describe the type of horse that will fill it.

COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION ESTABLISHED THE CHICAGO HORSE
MARKET. — The World's Fair of 1892 brought to the attention of
European dealers not only the high quality of American horses but
the almost infinite capacity of this country for their economical
production. Because they could buy more quality here for the
same money or the same quality for less money than in their own
country horses were immediately taken in large numbers for export
and this foreign demand established the Chicago Horse Market on
a solid basis and with well-defined classes.

PORRIGN TRADE AND CITY DEMAND Fix MARKET CLASSES. —
These purchases were always for particular purposes, giving
rise to well defined market classes and calling for definite types
of animals. Not only that, the "horse consumption" of this
country, constantly and rapidly increasing, calls for the same
classes and types demanded by the foreign trade, with such addi-
tions and variations as are naturally incident to our home con-

igOI.] MARKET CLASSES OF HORSES. 19

ditions. It is hardly necessary to remark that the home demand
like the foreign is largely limited and the classes fixed by the city
needs. Stated broadly, therefore, it is the city demand, both
foreign and domestic, that has fixed the classes and types of horses
in the Chicago markets, and for that matter in all markets. More-
over, this demand is so particular and the classes and types so well
defined that horses making- their way to the great markets are clas-
sified and graded, and sold according to their classification as ac-
curately and as absolutely as is wheat or any other commodity.

UTILITY FIXES THE CLASS AND THE VALUE. — Market classes
are established, not according to the age of the animal or degrees
of soundness, but according to size, conformation, and style; that
is to say, utility for particular purposes is the basic principle of
classification, and the ability of the animal to fill the particular
purpose is what fixes his class and his value, with the exception
that all high class horses must be sound and possess no glaring fault.

CLASSES NOT CONTINUOUS. — As might be expected these
classes do not generally overlap, nor do they always meet; that is
to say, the gradations are not uniform, passing from one class
directly into the next. There are gaps between them, often wide
ones, through which an animal may drop, so to speak, and though
young and sound may be a cheap horse; for example, if he be too
light for a draft horse and yet too heavy and "drafty" for the 'bus
he is too much for the one and too little for the other, and even
though considered by himself he may be a good horse he is never-
theless a cheap one, and no man who understands his business
would produce him if he could help it.

THE FIVE MARKET CLASSES. — Classes differ somewhat in dif-
ferent markets, but in Chicago, which claims to be the greatest
horse market in the world, there are five distinct and well defined
market classes in large demand. They are all classified from the
standpoint of utility, and except in class five may or may not be
registered animals. They are all based upon special needs, and all
call for particular size, conformation, and style.

CLASS 1. ROAD, CARRIAGE, AND COACH HORSES.

USES. — This is the highest class of unregistered horses on the
market, though many are of the highest breeding and all must
show good blood. They are distinctly driving horses, though not
racers, and are used for private work as distinct from public service.
Accordingly, they are driven to all sorts of private vehicles, either
for business or pleasure, from the light runabout drawn by the
road horse to the elegant victoria, brougham, or heavy coach

20 BULLETIN NO. 62. [February,

drawn by the carriage or coach horse. They are distinctly gentle-
men's drivers, whether handled by the owner or his coachman, and
all the conditions call for a high class horse to correspond with
good to elegant appointments and to satisfy the eye of a horseman
or at least of a lover of horses. They are used both in city and
country, but are found chiefly on the boulevards and in the parks
of the larger cities before fashionable turnouts driven by a coach-
man or before a light/wagon driven by the owner for the pleasure
of driving. They are used singly or in pairs, and, when matched,
uniformity in size, -style, and action are imperative, while differ-
ences in color or sex are almost disregarded. It may be said in
general, however, that though the market professes not to distin-
guish between mares and geldings, yet most men feel a decided
preference for the latter, and only the limited supply of horses of
high quality prevents this choice from asserting itself and a higher
price ruling for geldings than for mares.

DESCRIPTION. --The varied uses to which these horses are put
admit a wide range in height and weight. Horses may vary in
height from '15 hands to 16 hands 2 inches, and in weight from
1000 to 1200 pounds and still rank in this class, though these are
extremes. The typical specimen would stand from 15-3 to 16
hands and weigh from 1100 to 1150 pounds.

In color, there is little choice between bays, blacks, browns,
chestnuts and sorrels, but light greys are not in favor, and un-
sightly colors and markings are barred out. The form, style,
and action, however, must be strictly high class, and whether
registered or not, they must show plenty of good breeding.

In form they must be both beautiful and serviceable. The
head must be clean and fine and well carried upon a neck that rises
gracefully from the shoulders. The forehead must be broad and
full, ears carried well forward, eye full and bright, all showing in-
telligence, docility, and spirit. The nostrils must be large and
open, the muzzle fine, and the neck of medium length, clean, and
well carried without need of check. Short heavy heads, dull eyes,
drooping ears, short beefy necks, ewe-necks and thick necks, all
bar horses from this class.

The shoulder must be sloping, the back short and well coupled
with a full strong loin; the barrel round, the hips smooth, and the
tail set high. The legs must be straight and alike and free from
all unsoundness and serious blemishes; the bone must be flat and
clean, the tendons strong and smooth, the knee wide, the hock
strong, and the pastern moderately long and sloping. There
should be a proper proportion between the forearm and the cannon.

MARKET CLASSES OF HORSES. 21

If the forearm be too long- the result will be a knee sprung- horse
after considerable service; if too short he will be "calf kneed," i. e.
the knee joint as it is called, (properly the wrist), will appear as if
shutting- too far backward and breaking- down. The proper rel-
ative leng-th ot these two bones is believed to be not far from 21
inches for the forearm to 11 inches for the cannon. The foot
should be moderately wide at the heel, show dense horn and stand
squarely under the leg-, with no sug-gestion of being- "pig-eon toed'1
(toes pointing- inward) or "nig-ger heeled" (heels close and toes
outward.) Last of all the body should be covered with a full coat
of fine soft hair and carry a fair amount of flesh, but without an
appearance of beefiness. Nothing- is so g-ood an evidence of qual-
ity in a hoTse as fine hair and prominent veins standing- well out
on the face and over the body.

Every line and movement should please the eye, and.satisfy the
demand for a stylish horse. He must show considerable speed but
his work must be done neatly and with apparent pride and satis-
faction to the animal. He must respond to the will of the driver
and exhibit sense and courag-e in the presence of unusual sig-htsand
sounds.

Nothing- is more important in these horses than action, and
nothing- expresses what is wanted better than the word, "direct-
ness;" or as the horsemen call it "straight line movement." What
is meant is that the legs should move forward in straig-ht lines,
neither swing-ing in to "interfere" nor out to "wobble." In taking-
the step the foot should be well folded in at the pastern and thrust
forward, but in straig-ht lines with no suggestion of "paddling." In
carriage and coach horses the knee and hock should be carried
moderately high in action, especially the former and the front foot
and leg- from the knee down should exhibit a rolling- action the foot
taking the ground lightly at the bottom of a circular movement, so
to speak, and not thrust forward into the ground, causing pound-
ing and rapidly "staving" the horse on pavements and hard roads.
For road horses in which ability to cover distance is a prime requi-
site, excessively hig-h action is a detriment rather than otherwise
as it wears out the horse when his energ-y is needed for getting
over space. In these horses the front leg should be nicely folded as
it is taken from the ground then thrust far forward, not punching-
into the earth but reaching- its farthest point while yet three or
four inches above the ground then dropping- straight down, taking
the ground lightly. This is the easiest trotting- pace therefore the
most useful for covering- distance, and if well taken is as sightly as
any other though it presumes considerable speed.

22 BULLETIN NO. 62. [February,

In both types the fore and hind legs must move in harmony
and neither interfere with the work of the other. If the hind legs
are too long the hind foot will strike the front, unless the horse
"straddles," which is unsightly; if too short or lacking in action
the horse gives the appearance of trotting in front and walking be-
hind, the most awkward known gait and commonly found in
a horse too long in the back.

In this class belongs the "cob" which is distinctly an American
type, the trade in cobs being confined to this country. The cob is
a blocky, 'natty" little horse some 15 — 1 to 15 — 2 weighing 1000 to
1100 pounds and much in demand as a single driver before a light
buggy.

VALUES.— Horses in this class sell at from $150.00 to $300.00
and upward, fine specimens selling readily at $400.00 or $500.00,
and in some instances at $1,000.00 and upward. These horses are
worth from twenty-five to fifty per cent, more when well matched
than when single, and in all cases the value depends greatly on
the training and "manners" exhibited; for in no other class of
horses is an animal sold more upon his merits as a performer than
in this class of gentlemen's drivers.

PRODUCTION. — Two elements go to establish the value of these
horses — the horse himself and his training. The latter must be
done by some one well up in the methods of handling horses and
in what the trade calls for. This will generally be the regular/
dealer or his agent or employe.

The production of the horse himself, however, is a matter of
breeding and reasonable feeding and care. Without the former,
no feed, care or training can make a high class driving horse and
one certainly cannot be made out of a scrub.

The most successful blood for the production of carriage and
coach horses has been that of certain strains of the Standard Bred,
or American Trotter as he is often called, the French Coach, the
Morgan and the Hackney, and road horses have been most success-
fully produced from the Trotter and the Morgan. Whatever blood
is employed, it should be used on brood mares of good form and
substance and of a size and type to correspond with the blood of
the sire. Whoever undertakes to produce these horses should send
them to the markets untrained unless he be a horseman in fact as
well as in opinion. Some of the finest specimens are permanently
ruined by bad handling long before reaching the markets. The
most common mistakes are, first, the use of the over-check while
young making a "ewe-neck" and a bulging throat; second, speed-
ing while young, developing the racing spirit, latent in all these

IQO1.J MARKET CLASSES OF HORSES. 23

horses, before they have learned real action, and making- it impos-
sible thereafter to make good "workers" of them; and, third, clip-
ping- the foretop, which, thoug-h only temporary, detracts from his
value enoug-h to pay his keeping- until it grows out. This damage
from a clipped foretop is considered in the markets as $25. 00.

CLASS 2. CAB HORSES.

USES. — As the name indicates these horses are used on cabs
and other light vehicles kept for public service. This class of
horses is also used for light delivery, and those owned by the bet-
ter mercantile houses are the pick of the class. These two uses
fix the class and the price, though many will be found in other
places where light plain driving is needed.

DESCRIPTION. — The cab horse is a strong, blocky, and useful
little horse, 15 hands to 15-2 in height and weighing 1050 to 1100
pounds. He must be a "rugged1' horse, but he is plain, and is re-
quired to show but moderate action, though he must be able to go
long at the trot, and handle some load.

VALUE. — While an exceedingly useful horse and one "con-
sumed" in large numbers the supply is very large and values are
always moderate, rarely exceeding $75.00 to $100.00. He is a good
but plain and cheap horse. This is the smallest horse and the
plainest one that the market demands or that can be sold at any-
thing but ruinous prices.

PRODUCTION. — The prices realized warrant nobody in under-
taking the production of these horses. The large supply is due to
the fact that there are culls from Class 1, just described and from
Class 3, next to follow, and that a sufficient supply will doubtless
always appear naturally in the attempt to produce these two more
valuable classes.

CLASS 3. Bus HORSES.

USES. — These horses take their name from the foreign demand
for use on omnibuses. They are used for the same purpose in this
country, though the omnibus is less a feature of American than of
foreign cities. For this purpose they are generally driven in pairs.
The same horse is used here as an "express" horse or for heavy de-
livery. Whatever the use to which he is to be put, two require-
ments are imperative: First, he must be able to handle a consid-
erable load, and second, he must do it at a slow trot and sustain
the gait.

DESCRIPTION. — If there is any "general purpose" horse it is the
bus horse. He must be fitted to handle a load at a slow trot, but is

24 BULLETIN NO. 62. {February,

not required to show style. His action, however, should not be
bad and it must be easy. He must be a smooth made horse, shape
himself well in harness, give evidence of plenty of stamina and
should stand from 15 — 1 to 16 hands and weigh from 1250 to 1400
pounds. This is not a small draft horse, for his gait is to be the
trot and not the walk. He must, therefore, show a more sloping-
shoulder and a longer and more sloping- pastern than in the draft
type, and go at the slow trot with perfect ease. The supposition
that small draft horses will fill this class is a common mistake that
has cost American horse breeders much time and money.

VALUES. — These horses sell readily for export or home con-
sumption at from $100.00 to $150.00. Classes 2 and 3, unlike class
1, have no fancy prices, because there is no fancy service- Their
work is purely commercial and their values are as standard as that
of wheat and fluctuate only within narrow limits according to in-
dividual quality like any other purely commercial article.

PRODUCTION. — This is the cheapest horse that it will ever pay
to produce by direct effort. The best blood to use is probably
a medium Percheron stallion and a small mare with fairly g-ood ac-
tion and plenty of bone and stamina. These horses can be sold
without training- except that they should be broken to, harness and
accustomed to lig-ht work. These are not driving- horses and no at-
tempt should be made to develop speed.

CLASS 4. DRAFT HORSES.

USES. — There is one standard use for the draft horse, and that
is to haul enormous loads at the walk only, g-enerally in the cities
and on pavements or hard roads. They may be used single, in
pairs, three or four abreast, unicorn fashion, or in four, or even six,
eight, or ten horse teams, two abreast.

DESCRIPTION. — Strength is the one consideration in the draft
horse, and broadly speaking, weight is the principal element. If,
however, the mechanism of the horse is to endure the strain he
must have a strong hind leg, especially at the hock, a heavy loin
with short coupling and a strong front leg and dense hoof, because
so large a proportion of his weight is, or should be, in front.

With the draft horse it is not a question of height, but of
weight; indeed the nearer the ground he is the better both for ser-
vice and endurance. To class with draft horses an animal must
weigh not less than 1500 pounds in good flesh and he is all the
more valuable if he weighs 1800, 2000, or even more. He cannot
be too heavy if his "bone" corresponds to his weight

Such a horse should be blocky made with heavy bone, though

igOl.] MARKET CLASSES OF HORSES. 2$

smooth; short in the back, close coupled with heavy loin, rounded
hips, wide strong- hock, flat bone, moderately short pasterns,
medium straight shoulder, heavy in the front with full breast and
leg's placed well apart, though not extremely wide. The animal
should carry a good covering- of flesh, be smooth finished all over,
and manifest docility and a disposition to do heavy work with
patience but with spirit. Accordingly he should show a bright mild
eye, an erect ear, and a smooth easy action at the trot. It should
be as straig-ht and true as described under Class 1, thoug-h this is
not so important, and action is taken at the trot, not because he is
expected to use the gait, but because it is the best indication of the
ease with which he can handle his legs. The good draft horse,
is not expected to make speed, yet he must not be in constant
"quarrel with his legs." Because it is easier to secure weight in
fat than in bone, care should be taken to insure heavy bone in ex-
treme weights, but this should not be done at the expense of fair
finish.

VALUES. — Draft horses of good form sell almost according to
weight, except that as weights increase, prices rise at a much
greater ratio; so that extreme weights bring enormous prices if only
the bone is satisfactory. Prices range from $125.00 to $300.00,
with an occasional one higher and with an increase of about ten
per cent, when matched in teams. These prices are sometimes ex-
ceeded, and dealers insist that prices were never so low that a span
of draft horses would not bring $600.00 if only they were good
enough.

PRODUCTION. — This is par excellence the horse for the farmer
to raise. Only the blood of the best draft breeds, and the heaviest
and best boned stallions are suitable. Even then the demand for
extreme weights necessitates the use of large mares that are good
milkers. In no other way can colts be produced with sufficient bone
and feeding quality to attain the size and finish demanded by the
markets. Even then the youngster must be supplied with the best
of feed in large amounts from the very first. Plenty of good pas-
ture, clover hay, oats, and corn are imperative, and there is no
better feed for young horses than green corn cut from the field and
fed whole. Only the best blood should be used and then every ef-
fort must be made to keep the horse gaining from the first if he is
to top the market.

All this is much like growing beef, and these are the horses to
produce on the farms. They can be produced nowhere else to advan-
tage and, when it is remembered that the draft horse is really the
highest priced standard horse in the market, it is easy enough to

26 BULLETIN NO. 62. [fiebruary,

see what horse the farmer should raise. He not only sells for
more average money, but if bred with the same care there are
fewer culls, and no training- is required beyond light common work
to familiarize him with the harness and with drawing1. The dis-
position of the draft horse is so docile and his ancestors have
labored so long- that he works almost by instinct, and he requires
no special training- to g-o upon the markets.

CLASS 5. THE AMERICAN TROTTER.

This must be a Standard Bred registered horse with a record
not less than 2:18. His training- must be gilt edg-ed from the rac-
ing- standpoint and the price is from $200.00 up.

No other class of horses has so many culls, nor such worth-
less ones as this, and it is a class to be bred and handled by the
professional horseman and not the farmer.

MISCELLANEOUS HORSES.

Aside from these standard classes there are fire horses, police
horses, etc., etc., each with somewhat distinct requirements.
The demand being- limited, it is always easily satisfied from the
general supply, and, because limited, offers no inducement to the
horse producer who cannot afford to breed for a class so limited
in numbers. The saddler is an exception to the above, but the
production of saddle horses is a special line of horse production
and not of interest to the general farmer. The cavalry and the
artillery horse are often called for in large numbers, but the
demand is irregular, and, except in rare cases, is fully satisfied
from the general stock on hand.

SUMMARY.

Market classes and types are fixed not by the breeds but by
the uses to which horses are put.

As these uses are definite, the type and the class are fixed.

As these uses are exceedingly varied, there are often wide gaps
between the market classes.

A horse that drops between the classes is a cheap horse, no
matter how good an animal, either because there is little use for
him or because the supply is unlimited.

The best horse to breed is one that most fully meets a definite,
constant, and strong demand, and has therefore a high average
selling price.

The cavalry horse and the fire horse are good examples of
valuable horses that the breeder cannot undertake to produce be-

MARKET CLASSES OF HORSES. 2"J

cause the demand is too limited. The demand for them will al-
ways be satisfied from the general supply.

Phenomenally high prices are as much due to the fancy of the
individual purchaser as to the character of the animal. In any
event they are seldom realized and are to be sought by the dealer
and not by the breeder, as they represent but one out of hundreds
or even thousands — too few to breed for.

The farmer should keep himself acquainted with standard
classes in steady demand at uniformly good prices, breed these, and
pay no regard to high speed, phenomenal sales, or fancy values.

IJULLKTIN NO. 62.

February, [1901.

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