ACTION. 109 



interest of affairs pertaining to the horse says, regarding 

 quality : 



" The term has long been in use in England, but only of late years in 

 this country, and your columns have given ample proof of the existence of 

 vague and misty, not to say erroneous, ideas on the part of many correspond- 

 ents. I have often been asked to explain what is meant, and have found 

 the easiest method to be by illustration. 



" x\lmost every one will be able to recall some one of his acquaintance 

 who, though clothed in the coarsest homespun, could never, even in silent 

 repose, be taken for anything but a gentleman ; and again another person 

 who, in spite of all the efforts of his tailor and the dancing master, fails to 

 produce any such impression. 



" If the reason be analyzed the former will be found to have clear cut 

 features, a well poised head, shapely hands and feet, and an intelligent, 

 expressive countenance. The toute ensejnble of the two seems to show that 

 one is made of coarser clay than the other. The same difference exists in 

 horses. A horse corresponding to the former will be described by one good 

 judge as ' true formed and full of quality,' while another equally good judge 

 would express his admiration by declaring him to be ' a gentleman from head 

 to heel.' 



" I had written thus far when it occurred to me that Bacon, Shakespeare, 

 Addison and other writers of their time constantly referred to the nobility 

 and gentry as the quality, and on turning to a dictionary I find : ' Quality — 

 superior rank, superiority of birth or standing, as persons of quality, ladies 

 of quality.' " 



ACTION. 



The action most to be desired is that which is perfectly 

 natural to a well-formed spirited animal in the full flower of 

 youth and physical development. Owing to a man's ability 

 to make an ill-formed or aged horse produce a similar (not 

 the same) effect, this action is frequently mistaken by a novice 

 to indicate the necessarily good conformation and high cour- 

 age of a " natural all-round fine actor." 



A horse of good formation that stands well usually walks 



