FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 381 



bruising. In addition to this, the horse that dishes usually brings his foot 

 down with force on the inner quarter. This manner of planting the foot not 

 only subjects the ligaments to undue tension but is a fruitful source of 

 troublesome corns. 



On the other hand, a horse that toes-out is apt to come down with most 

 force on the outside of his foot. This is a much more defective formation 

 than the former, for it not only causes winding-in and great liability to inter- 

 fere, but the planting of the foot is usually accomplished in a manner that 

 results in the production of considerable concussion, and also subjects the 

 ligaments to great tension, so that the legs soon begin to show the effects of 

 wear and tear. Some horses come down with most force on their toes, caus- 

 ing them to stub their toes, asjit is called. Such a manner of planting the 

 foot is apt to cause stumbling and increases concussion to a marked extent 

 Short-pasterned straight-shouldered and short-gaited horses often show this 

 defect. 



Just the opposite manner of planting the foot or coming down with the 

 heel first is not at all uncommon. This defect of action is not only likely to 

 cause bruising of the heels, but subjects the tendons and ligaments at the 

 lower and back portion of the forelegs to excessive strain. Ordinarily this 

 imperfection is only observed in long-gaited horses, but some horses that 

 plant their feet in a favorable manner when going at a slow pace, when 

 forced to a faster one lengthen their stride and show this defect, often called 

 pointing, to a pronounced degree. Deep and oblique-shouldered horses 

 with little knee action, like thoroughbreds, often go in this way, but its ill 

 effects are not so great as in those with a considerable amount of knee 

 action. 



Threading or plaiting are terms used to designate the swinging of the 

 elevated foot around the one that is placed on the ground in progression. 

 This ungraceful manner of going, which occasions a loss of power, a tendency 

 to brush and liability to trip, is most clearly shown in the walk or slow trot. 

 The horse that plaits is usually either a narrow-chested one or one fairly 

 wide in the chest, that stands with his feet very close together. This con- 

 formation is the opposite to that found in the straddler, and of the two evils 

 the latter is the greater, for it gives rise to a stilty way of going and a man- 

 ner of putting the feet down which is very injurious to the legs. 



While it is the intention of this article to endeavor to picture ideally good 

 action by which wear and tear and loss of power are reduced to a minimum, 

 it is not intended to decry the possession by a horse of what is usually called 

 high action for certain purposes. To render horses attractive for show and 

 for pleasure purposes, it is a highly desirable quality, and very much in- 

 creases their market value. The good horseman would much prefer, how- 

 ever, to sit behind a horse with moderate action that raises his feet, advances 

 them in a straight line, with stride enough to insure desirable progress and 

 not so much that the feet can not be put down squarely, every part bearing 

 its proper proportion of weight and striking the ground lightly, than one 

 with excessive but marked defective action. High action, like other qualities 

 possessed in a high degree, is very apt to be associated with defects that de- 

 tract from its perfectness and lessen a horse's wearing ability. The ill con- 

 sequences of these defects are intensified in direct ratio to the excessiveness 

 of the action. The craze for high action at any cost is not so rampant as 



