UPRIGHT PASTERNS. loi 



visure, who owed her success entirely to her pilot having 

 secured this much-coveted place. If a part of the course 

 be heavy or hilly, the jockey might ease his horse a little ; 

 while he might rattle him along down-hill, or where the 

 ground was sound, always supposing that his legs and 

 feet can stand it. Horses with short, upright pasterns 

 are most unsuited to go down a hill — the running of 

 Vauban, the Two Thousand winner, in the Derby, was a 

 good example of this fact — neither do they act par- 

 ticularly well on hard ground ; while those with sloping 

 pasterns generally like to hear their feet rattle, and do 

 not get their legs jarred when going down an incline. 

 Horses with rather high action and good hocks are the 

 best to climb a hill. The possession of large broad feet is 

 most useful on a heavy course, from the mechanical ad- 

 vantage they have over small feet. A compact, quick- 

 striding horse, like what Freeman was, is well adapted 

 for a cramped course, like the Rodee at Chester, while 

 a big long-striding animal — Lord Clifden, for instance — 

 requires a straight level course, like that at Doncaster, 

 on which to display his powers. The length and height 

 of a horse does not matter so much, provided he has 

 quick hind action and gets his hocks well under him. 

 Knight of the Garter, who was one of this sort, though 



