220 MODERN FAKRIEll. "; 



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* When the knee is bent too much, and raised too | 

 high there must be a great deal of unnecessary ac- | 

 tion and consequently a loss of time. On the other | 

 hand, when the leg is thrown out too straight, with -l 

 the toe pointed, the leg remains stationary for a : 

 short period, gaining no more ground than what is 

 acquired by the momentum of the body. The best ' 

 action, therefore, is when the leg is moderately f, 

 raised, and the shoulder thrown forward ; but the \ 

 principal source of speed in trotting, as well as in all ' 

 other paces, is in the hind-quarters. The action of ■ 

 some horses in this respect is extremely beautiful; 

 that is to say, when there is an equal flexion in the ; 

 hock and stifle-joints. Hence they appear to go, as ] 

 it were, upon springs ; but when this bounding mo- ' 

 tion is carried to an extreme, it constitutes what is \ 

 called the darting trot, and is never so speedy as the i 

 quick repetition of action in the different legs in the | 

 less extended trot. Tv/elve miles in the hour is 

 considered fast trotting ; but there are many horses 

 capable of trotting sixteen, and even eighteen, miles 

 within the hour. In these cases, however, of ex- 

 treme speed, the motion ought not to be considered 

 as a trot, for it becomes decidedly a run, as may be 

 perceived by the legs moving separately and succes- 

 sively one after the other ; whereas, in the trot, two 

 are moved at once, namely, a fore and a hind-leg on ; 

 opposite sides. Horses that are badly formed in <' 

 their fore-quarters, when pressed in the trot, are apt 

 to strike the shoe of the fore-foot with the toe of the | 

 hind-foot, making a disagreeable clacking noise, ; 

 which is called Jbi'ghig, and rendering the pace un- \ 

 safe by the risk of the hind-foot getting locked with ! 

 the heel of the shoe of the fore-foot ; in which case, ) 

 except the shoe be torn off*, the horse must inevita- I 

 bly fall, and with great violence. | 



' This defect arises from the horse's being vmable 

 to advance his fore-leg with sufficient celerity, so as 

 to get it out of tlie way of the hind-leg when it is 



