120 THE HORSE. 
EVERY PRACTISED horseman knows that his horse’s fore legs will suffer 
in proportion to the weight which is thrown on them, while their relief is 
an additional source of strain to the hind legs. The spavined, and more 
especially the curby-hocked horse, relieves these parts by using his fore 
legs to carry more than their proper proportion of weight, while the 
animal affected with any painful disease of the fore limbs carries almost 
all the weight of his body on his hind legs, which are advanced under 
him in the most peculiar manner. The value of artificially changing the 
natural carriage of the horse, so as to make his hind legs come forward 
and carry more than their own share of weight, is chiefly felt in chargers, 
hacks, and harness horses, while, on the contrary, it is injurious to the 
hunter and the racehorse, whose hind quarters bear the greatest strain. 
THE ATTITUDE ASSUMED IN STANDING. 
STanDING may be considered under two heads, the first comprising the 
attitude naturally assumed by the horse when inclined to rest himself, and 
the secund that forced upon him by education, for the sake either of 
appearances, or to keep him ready to start at a moment’s notice, as in the 
cavalry horse. When standing free or naturally the horse always rests 
one leg, and that generally a hind one, changing from one to the other as 
each becomes tired in its turn. In the forced attitude all four are on the 
ground, and each supports its share of the superincumbent weight. In 
either case the different joints are kept from bending, by the almost 
involuntary combined action of the flexor and extensor muscles, which will 
keep him standing even in sleep, in- which respect he differs from the 
human subject. The oblique position of the pasterns affords a considerable 
aid, but without the semi-involuntary support afforded by the muscles, the 
stifle and hock joints behind, and the shoulder and elbow before, would 
inevitably give way. 
MODE OF PROGRESSION. 
IN MOVING FORWARD, whatever the pace may be, the hind quarters are 
the main propellers, and thrust the body forward on the fore legs, which 
serve as imperfect segments of wheels, each in its turn making a revolution 
forwards and backwards through a segment of a circle, like a pendulum, 
This forward motion is either effected by one hind leg at a time, as in the 
walk, trot, amble and rack, or by the two, nearly if not quite synchronously, 
as in the canter, gallop, and leap. In any case, the hind legs (or leg) must 
be drawn forwards under the body, or the body thrust backwards upon 
them, when a contraction of various muscles tends to straighten them, and 
as they are fixed upon the ground, which acts as a fulerum, the body 
must give way, and thus passes forward with a speed and force propor- 
tionate to the muscular power exerted. In the various paces this mecha- 
nical action is differently effected in detail, but the principle is the same 
in all those contained in each class to which I have alluded. In the first 
the weight is borne by the hind and fore quarters between them, while 
propulsicn is effected by one side of the former; but in the second, it is 
taken at intervals by the fore:and hind limbs, the latter propelling it with 
great force, and the former serving as props to it when it comes to the 
ground from the air, and also causing it to rebound for another interval of 
time, 
