Attitude and Motion of the Legs 39 



is always greater than hind action, but it may be apparent to the reader 

 that it has been shown that there is an adjustment possible between 

 these actions which will bring these two extremities into proper har- 

 mony. The high cleaving of the air by the fore feet is pure loss of 

 motion and energy; while the low, shuffling gait of hind feet shows a 

 lack of energy well to be considered. The former seems to produce the 

 latter manner of motion; and the efforts toward a more perfect gait 

 should be directed toward a lessening of forward action and an in- 

 crease in the backward action of hind, whereby propulsion is effected 

 and interference prevented. And, in fact, wherever an attempt has 

 been made by me to bring that about there resulted a better and 

 smoother gait and as it should be greater endurance and speed. 



It seems, therefore, advisable to set up a standard of action, and 

 among those analyzed above Elaine's comes nearest to that standard. 

 There are still many advocates for the gait which Occident exemplifies, 

 but one cannot pass on it as nearly so perfect as Elaine's, though, of 

 course, it is energetic and powerful and apparently promising of great 

 speed. It is the manner of speed that a great many fair and good 

 trotters have. 



The gait of Abe Edgington (or Edgerton) must be judged as 

 somewhat faulty, but also as amenable to correction ; for when he was 

 put under saddle his gait improved wonderfully. Here, then, seems to 

 be a case that could be corrected and shod in such a manner that in 

 time the faults would disappear. The trotter Clay presents a con- 

 formation that would always balk every effort for improvement. Na- 

 ture makes and mars trotters and pacers by a faulty conformation, even 

 though the instinct to trot or pace is in the brain. The gait can be 

 regulated and the speed improved up to a certain point, after which 

 there will be a confusion of motion in spite of every effort. 



Bearing in mind these side views of the horses in motion we are 

 enabled thereby to detect some deficiency of gait by the eye, and this 

 will aid us to analyze the gait of any horse by the method which I pro- 

 pose to explain in the next chapter. 



