110 ACTION. 



well and in turn trots equally well. A horse's limbs should 

 move with the freedom, ease, evenness and precision of a 

 pendulum. The movement of the fore legs should commence 

 at the shoulders, the feet being lightly and smoothly lifted 

 from the ground and carried well forward at such a height 

 as to safely pass over any ordinary obstruction. The knees 

 should be flexed in front and not under the body. The feet 

 must fall squarely but lightly on the ground, so that the 

 shoes are worn down evenly. The elasticity of the pastern 

 joint should serve to take up the shock occasioned by the 

 leg resuming its support of the body. In a complete move- 

 ment of the fore legs there should be no dishing nor swaying 

 nor dipping of the body. 



Dishing and paddling are indicated by a horse throw- 

 ing the fore leg to one side or the other of a vertical line 

 dropped from the shoulder. Dishing or paddling may be 

 detected by standing squarely behind a horse: if he dishes, 

 the fore feet when elevated will be thrown outward ; if he 

 paddles, the fore feet will be thrown inward. 



The hind legs should act in perfect harmony with the 

 fore legs. The former should be drawn well under the body, 

 the hocks well flexed and the movement springy. Viewed 

 from the rear the hind feet should pass clear of each other 

 by from two to four inches. If very much closer, the horse 

 either brushes (interferes) or is predisposed to this serious 

 fault ; when the space is increased above six inches the horse 

 will have a tendency to roll or straddle with a swinging 

 stifle action. 



The sensational and flashy action that is met with in 

 many of the horses of the large cities detracts from the ani- 

 mal's power and speed ; the energy is unprofitably ex- 



