170 Gait of (he American Trotter and Pacer 



we find that 60 per cent, constitutes the average elevation of the hind 

 feet as compared with that of the fore. And finally, when the total 

 action of both the joints and the feet is taken together as one whole, 

 we find that the hind action is but 63 per cent, of fore action, as 

 illustrated in Fig. 135 under 3. 



Again, we have in Elaine the hightest proportion (.70), with Clay 

 coming next. The latter is deficient in front action and the proportion 

 is therefore high (.66). The greatest disproportion again appears in 

 Occident, whose excessive knee action discloses again too low a hind 

 action to bring his locomotion into proper proportion. While in 

 Elaine and Clay the proportion between hock and knee action (.685 

 and .675) is nearly the same as that of hind and fore feet action (.70 

 and .66) there is a marked difference in Occident and Edgington, 

 their proportion of hock and knee action (.585 and .655) being much 

 higher than their proportion of hind and fore feet action (.45 and 

 .60). This proves that the hock flexion of the first two is far greater 

 than that of the last two, as can be readily seen in Figs. 23 and 25. 

 That is to say, in both the former cases (Figs. 22 and 24) the back- 

 ward extension was greater, which resulted in greater flexion of hock. 



The point raised in connection with these investigations is that 

 excessive front action, whether natural or effected artificially, has 

 in its wake a lowered hind action; and again, that such lowered hind 

 action is likely to result in greater forward extension of hind feet, 

 because the greater curve of action of fore foot will produce a cor- 

 respondingly longer curve of action of hind foot (Figs. 19-21) ; and 

 if the backward extension is lacking and the hock flexion in conse- 

 quence is absent the -forward extension of the hind foot will be all the 

 greater in order to equal the greater front action. That is to say, 

 the action of the hind foot must consume the same period of time as 

 the fore foot in going from one contact of ground to the next and must, 

 moreover, strike the ground simultaneously with it. It is easy to see 

 that the higher the curve of action the greater the time consumed, 

 and hence, the curve of the hind foot being lower is apt to extend fur- 

 ther forward to equal the action of fore foot in scope and time. 



This quartette of horses, now again used as examples of gait or 



