316 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



This is generally the pace required in horses destined 

 to go in harness. 



Trotting upon hard roads soon wears out the fore- 

 legs and feet, and there are few fast trotters at seven 

 or eight years old that do not show signs of being the 

 worse for wear. 



In this pace, the body is propelled forwards in a 

 straight direction, without that alternate rising and 

 sinking of the fore and hind-quarters which takes 

 place in the canter and in the gallop. Hence the 

 whole weight and shock of the body is received by one 

 fore-leg at a time only ; whereas in the canter and the 

 gallop, the hind-legs first sustains the weight, and 

 thereby reduce the shock, which would otherwise fall 

 on the fore-legs entirely. 



The concussion arising from fast trotting upon hard 

 roads, particularly in frosty weather, is sometimes so 

 great as to occasion violent inflammation, producing 

 what is called founder, or a sinking of the coffin-bones ; 

 and even, in some cases, to occasion a separation 

 of the hoof altogether. 



English horses are more subject to this inconve- 

 nience than foreign horses, because they go more upon 

 their shoulders, and with their haunches more behind 

 them, thus throwing all the weight forwards. 



Foreign horses, on the contrary, bring their hind- 

 legs more under their bodies, and bend their knees 

 more ; and instead of throwing out their fore-feet be- 

 fore them, they bring them down in nearly the same 

 place from whence they raised them. This kind 

 of action, of course, is not so speedy as that of the 

 English horse, but it is much less injurious to tlie legs 

 and feet, and at the same time is more easy and plea- 

 sant to the rider. 



Foreign horses are generally longer in the pastern 



