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he must bend his joints, or contract them up- 

 wards before he can put his foot forward. It 

 is the same with the hind legs. "When a horse 

 stands high behind, it is in consequence of his 

 hind legs being disproportioned in length to 

 the fore legs; therefore, before he can pass 

 the hind foot forward, he is obliged to bend or 

 contract the joints upwards, in order that it 

 may clear the ground; and as the hind parts 

 are disproportionably high, the motion caused 

 by bending each leg will be the greater, which 

 occasions the horse to tilt up each quarter al- 

 ternately, and the rider along with it; and this 

 is the sole cause of his swinging or rocking 

 his croupe. Such horses, when they become 

 tired or out of condition, exhibit this motion 

 in a much greater degree than at any other 

 period ; and they also wear the hind foot hoof 

 and shoe a great deal at the toe, as it takes the 

 ground at every motion, and drags against it. 



Those who will take the trouble to observe a 

 horse whose forehand is well up, and that 

 stands a little lov/er behind than before, will 

 perceive how little .the croupe rocks; and in 

 riding such a horse will find how much more 

 pleasantly he will carry in comparison to the 



