106 HINTS ON SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF HORSES. 



hind, the hind foot passing underneath the front, and placing squarely 

 with the body. 



"The Knoxes of New England illustrate extremely narrow trotting, 

 passing hocks in motion very close, and barely missing interference. 

 The thigh is very short, the length from hip to hock is relatively long. 

 They are descended from ahorse called General Knox standing 15 hands 

 2 inches, and with a thigh but 20^ inches. 



"The reverse of this proportion, longer thigh and relatively shorter 

 length from hip to hock, compels the horse to travel wide behind 

 swinging out the hocks in motion to avoid necessity for greater elevation 

 of the stifle. The extreme in wide hock action showed in Duroc, with 

 a thigh 24^ as compared with length from hip to hock of only 39 a 

 ratio of 1:1.592. All of his descendants, to the present day, show Duroc 

 blood in length of thigh, and travel with that open, straddling gait which 

 such a conformation makes imperative. 



" Hambletonian showed the middle ground in ratio, both lines be- 

 ing long, but lengthened so that each might correlate the other's action 

 and insure 'line trotting' to perfection. His measurements were 24 and 

 41 respectively for thigh and hip to hock a ration of 1:1.708, and his 

 best descendants show a similar proportion. Nancy Hanks, already 

 mentioned as the daughter of a son of Hambletonian (Happy Medium), 

 measures 21^ and 38 a ratio of 1:1.747. Ansel, by another son (Elec- 

 tioneer), measures 23^ and 40^2 a ratio of 1:1.723. Maud S., by Har- 

 old (one of Hambletonian' s sons) measures 23^ and 40 a ratio of 

 1:1.684 an d is said to have an almost perfect action. Sunol, by Elec- 

 tioneer, has a longer thigh and therefore has a longer stride, and carries 

 speed at somewhat wider gait than most of the Electioneers. Her meas- 

 urements are 24^ and 40 a ratio of 1:1.632. Nearly all the offspring 

 of the so-called 'Star cross' in the Hambletonian family show the blood 

 of Duroc through his son American Star. A horse ' Star gaited' trots 

 with well spread hocks and carries speed without a chance of inter- 

 ference, front or rear. 



"But by far the most important trotting leverage remains to be con- 

 sidered: length of Metatarsal bone (the cannon of the hind leg), as com- 

 pared with length from hip to hock. As a rule the horse with hock 

 placed low that is, with short hind cannon carries speed to some ex- 

 tent by nature at the trot; while the horse with hock placed high that 

 is, with long hind cannon is a galloper from impulse. Do not under- 

 stand by this that a horse with fairly long hind cannon cannot carry 

 trotting speed far from it; many a horse that lacks the best essentials 

 for perfection at the trotting gait, by long and carefrl training, proper 

 balancing by shoes and toe weights, and restraint by straps and hobbles, 

 may be trained to trot at speed; but the time is past when trotting in- 

 terests can be sustained by training and manipulation only. The impulse 



