250 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



springy, and in either case the horse should tread with 

 its hind-feet upon the footprints of the fore-feet. If the 

 horse steps short with his hind-feet, look for bone spavin 

 in the hocks. Wide hipped horses sometimes tread on 

 the outside of the footprint of the fore-feet, have 

 generally a shaky action, and are unpleasant to ride. 

 Wide hipped horses are almost always heavy in the 

 shoulder, and are therefore more adapted for harness 

 than saddle. Thoroughbred horses generally have low 

 troting action, and therefore are not good backs upon the 

 road, but having a more springy action are much more 

 pleasant to ride. Blind horses always lift their feet high, 

 and have a high uncertain action, therefore when trying a 

 horse which has high action examine its eyes carefully, for 

 perchance it is owing to defective sight that it lifts its 

 feet so high. When speaking of horse coping, I used 

 the term advertising gentry. No doubt most of my 

 readers have had their attention drawn to advertise- 

 ments in the papers of the following style : — " To be 

 disposed of immediately, a pair of handsome bay 

 geldings, 16 hands high, six years old, quiet in double 

 and single harness, constantly driven together, the 

 property of a gentleman who is leaving England, a 

 warranty given, and trial allowed. — Apply to coach- 

 man for price, &c., at Mews, Hyde Park, 



London." This is called doing the heavy to catch a 

 flat, and is generally done by the so-colled gentlemen 

 who buy on commission. It requires three to carry 

 out this trick to perfection, and it is often done. 

 Coper No. 1, 2, and 3, look out for horses of showy 

 action with fresh legs and broken wind, they then 



