396 TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



Action. The action of the draft horse should be true, 

 snappy, and bold. As you see him going or coming, the move- 

 ment of the legs should be straight in the line of motion, the 

 feet being carried true, with no paddling or irregularity of gait. 

 Walking away from you, he should move with enough snap to 

 give you the flash of his shoe at every step. As you view him 

 in action from the side, he should show length of stride and 

 enough height of action to clear the ground safely at each step. 

 High knee action is not essential; in fact, carriage horse action 

 in a draft horse means useless expenditure of energy. However, 

 there should be a strong, free movement of knees and hocks, 

 without dragging or stiffness. The walk is the real gait of the 

 draft horse, and an active, snappy, springy walk, with trueness 

 and length of stride, is the prime essential so far as action is 

 concerned. However, the trot often magnifies defects in gait 

 so that they are more easily seen, and in show and sale rings 

 drafters are shown at both gaits. The stride in the trot should 

 be long, true, springy, steady, and business-like, with a certain 

 degree of height of action to insure against stumbling. Horse- 

 men .like a bold way of going that indicates willingness and 

 courage in the horse. 



In action, the hocks should pass close together, so close in 

 fact that they nearly brush each other. Some horses go so wide 

 behind that a wheelbarrow could be put between the hind legs 

 and scarcely touch them. Any tendency to spraddle behind 

 is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, defect which the drafter 

 can exhibit, so far as action is concerned. 



The study of action is one requiring close attention. The 

 observer must take into consideration every movement of the 

 horse. Attention must be given not only to the movement of 

 the feet and legs, but also to the carriage of the head and neck 

 and the entire body. The head should be carried well up, giv- 

 ing a stylish appearance and a good outlook, and the top of the 

 horse should be carried level and true, without any rolling or 

 wobbling motion from side to side, and without any indication 

 of lameness. The front and hindquarters should act in unison, 

 and the legs should be kept well under the body as the horse 

 travels, showing no tendency to drag the hind legs, and especially 

 the hocks, out behind the body. When kept up underneath as 

 they should be, and when all the motions of the horse are in 

 unison, we say that he moves in a collected manner. As before 

 stated, perfection in action can result only when there is a com- 



