PROPELLING POWER — PULLING 



imaginary than real, as the formation appears in some very- 

 good horses, but it is not admired or liked. 



Propelling Power is produced by the action of the hind 

 limbs and by the weight of the horse, as it is obvious that 

 a bulky, heavy body when propelled forwards produces more 

 force than a light one. The amount of propulsion must also 

 clearly depend upon the power a horse possesses to bring 

 the joints and muscles of his hind limbs and back into force, 

 and hence a faultily made animal with weak or sickle hocks 

 and deficient in muscle behind and about the loins and 

 backs must be at a disadvantage with a properly formed one 

 when heavy weights have to be moved. The speed and 

 fore-action of a light horse are also influenced to a consider- 

 able extent by the propelling power of the horse, as when 

 he fails to flex his hocks as he should they drag behind him, 

 as it were, and there is not the propelling power that there 

 should be to force the body forward. Consequently, the 

 horse does not cover as much ground as he should in his 

 stride. (See Action, Free Action, Rou?id Action.) 



Pulling. — A horse which pulls is never a pleasant one to 

 ride or drive, but it is usually possible to arrive at some 

 method of modifying the annoyance. As often as not the 

 propensity may be reduced by discovering the sort of bit 

 which suits him best, as mouths differ very considerably, and 

 it is not always the severest bit that controls the puller best. 

 If the mouth is callous and no bit will restrain the horse he 

 may be worked in a net or nose-band, which will press on 

 his nostrils when the reins are pulled. Some pullers are 

 quite hopeless cases, and these are generally the results of 

 bad breaking and improper bitting when young. 



The accompanying illustrations represent a very practical 

 arrangement, designed by Mr Walter Winans, for the control 

 of hard-pulling horses. The accompanying illustration shows 

 wristlets, both open and fixed on the wrist, and also the loop 

 on the rein, the wristlet having a raised ridge about I inch 



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