ON PROGRESSION. 20S 



motion, and this may be effected by keeping 

 the fore foot as low at the heel as possible, by 

 which means the extension of the flexor muscles 

 of the leg being increased, they will be stimu- 

 lated to act sooner than they otherwise would 

 do, and the gaining but a moment of time in 

 their action is sufficient for the purpose. At 

 the same time the toes of the hind feet should 

 be shortened as much as possible, and the hoof 

 should project, in a small degree, beyond the 

 shoe, which will prevent the iron from striking 

 the fore foot. Horsemen generally rise in the 

 saddle during the trot, by which method they 

 avoid the concussion they would otherwise ex- 

 perience. But by this custom they certainly in- 

 terrupt the harmony of the horse's motion, by 

 obliging him to dwell longer on one leg than 

 the other, in doing which he accommodates 

 himself to the motion of his rider. Besides 

 this interruption, it greatly incommodes the 

 animal, if it is not performed very steadily and 

 perfectly on the center of gravity; and nothing 



can 



