| Characteristics of Longhorns |
Desirable |
Objectionable |
Undesirable |
| A. Functional Efficiency |
|
|
|
| 1. Fertility |
Early maturity & longetivity
Cows-feminine, regular/early calving
Bulls-masculine, virile, high libido |
Abnormal reproductive organs |
|
| 2. Sheath |
Retracted prepuce, small orifice, flat small sized navel flap |
|
Long pendulous sheath, non-retractable prepuce, excessive navel flap both male and female |
| 3. Udder and teats |
Well attached, balanced |
Teats too large for calf to nurse at birth, meaty, broken, loosely attached |
Hard, firm, meaty udder, unable to produce enough milk for her calf |
| 4. Disposition |
Mild, tractable |
Nervous |
|
| 5. Size |
Adequate for age
Mature size
Cows-750-1000 pounds
Bulls-1300-1600 pounds |
Small for age
Extremely oversized |
|
| 6. Hair (depends/environment) |
Short, straight, slick coat |
Long curly hair |
|
| 7. Hide |
Vascular, mellow and pliable |
Tight, excessive skin fold, sheath, navel |
Extra large sheath or navel flap |
| 8. Legs and feet |
Squarely set, sound feet and joints |
Very short legs, sickle hocks, post-legs, mule-footed, extra close weak hocks |
|
| B. Conformation |
|
|
|
| 1. General form or type |
Good length with moderate depth and thickness
Top of hips higher than top of shoulders
Eliptical shaped body for heat adaptation
Sound dense bones
Strong legs with free movement
Bulls slightly thicker and heavier muscled than cows, exhibiting crest development on neck |
|
Any evidence of hump directly over shoulder region |
| 2. Head |
Showing masculinity or femininity according to sex: moderate width with pronounced length from poll to muzzle Straight profile Some evidence of throat flap |
Nose extremely "pinched-in" above nostrils Short, blocky head Convex forehead, "Roman Nose" Pendulous dewlap |
|
| 3. Ears |
Medium to small, short round ears |
Longer, droopy ears |
Extremely large droopy ears |
| 4. Muzzle |
Mealy mouth, pigmented |
Non-pigmented |
Wry nose, overshot/undershot jaw |
| 5. Horns |
Cows: slender, wide twisted outward
"Poll measurement" of 40" or more, tip to tip on mature cows
Bulls: horns with longitudinal length and a forward and upward sweep
"Poll measurement" of 40" or more tip to tip on mature bulls |
Cows: broad-based horns, horns that sharply curve upward
"Poll measurement" under 24", tip to tip, at 4 years of age
Bulls: horns that curve sharply upward
"Poll measurement" under 24", tip to tip, at 3 years of age |
Cows: "Poll measurement" under 24", tip to tip, at 5 years of age
Bulls: "Poll measurement" under 24", tip to tip at 4 years of age |
| 6. Neck |
Trim in cow
Muscular in bull |
Ewe neck
Very long or very short |
|
| 7. Shoulders |
Free moving,
Smooth and well-muscled |
Open on top sharply dropping down behind shoulders |
|
| 8. Brisket |
Trim and free from excessive fleshiness |
Excessive fat, downward sloping and excessive dewlap |
|
| 9. Heart Girth |
Eliptical and full |
Pinched girth |
|
| 10. Back |
Strong topline with slope upward from shoulders to hook bones |
Extremely swayback |
|
| 11. Loin |
Reasonably broad and full |
Extremely narrow and low |
|
| 12. Ribs |
Moderately well sprung, eliptical |
Slab-sided |
|
| 13. Hooks |
Broad, reasonably prominent and sloping downward toward pin bones |
Narrowness in hooks |
|
| 14. Rump |
Long, moderately sloping from hooks to pins |
Short, narrow and extremely drooping |
Undesirable |
| 15. Tail |
Long with full switch |
Very short tail |
Wry tail |
| 16. Hindquarters |
Reasonably broad and muscular,
Moderately wide at pins |
Extremely narrow |
Double muscling |
| C. Color |
"Their colors were more varied than those of the Rainbow. There were brindles: blues - mulberry blue, ringstreaked blue, speckled blue, grullas - so-named because they had the hue of the sandhill crane, also called mouse-colored, or slate duns, washed-out and Jersey crems - all hues of "yellow", browns with bay points, blacks, solid and splotched with white, brown and red, whites, both clearly bright and dirty speckled, many sabinas, red and white peppered, reds of all shades except the dark richness characteristic of Hereford, pale reds being very common, paints of many combinations. The line along the back was common, as in the mustang breed. Coarse brown hairs around the ears were characteristic. The shadings and combination of colors were so various that no two were alike." J Frank Dobie |