86 THE HORSE. 



festl/, but whose rider feels the inconvenience much more clearlj 

 than it is seen by the uninterested looker-on. The clever hack, on 

 the contrary, moves forward without his body deviating a hair's 

 breadth from the line in which it is progressing, neither undulating 

 to the right and left nor up and down. The rider of a first-rate 

 hack should be able to carry a full glass of wine in his hand for 

 any distance without spilling a drop; and if the action on the walk 

 is not smooth enough for this, it cannot be considered as approach- 

 ing to perfection. Many horses step short and quick, and yet do 

 not walk well, because their shoulders have not liberty enough to 

 thrust their arms forward during the act of swinging the leg; and 

 hence the pace is slow, for the foot is put down very near to the 

 spot from which it was lifted. In choosing a good walker, there- 

 fore, see that his feet are lifted smartly, that they are well thrust 

 forward, and placed firmly but lightly on the ground. Look at 

 him well from behind, and observe whether he hits himself on the 

 fetlock joints as one foot passes the other; and at the same time 

 examine whether, as he lifts his fore feet, he turns them out, or 

 " dishes," which is a very serious fault, in consequence of the loss 

 of time which it occasions. In most horses the hind foot oversteps 

 the place from which the corresponding fore foot has been removed ; 

 but in a good hack this should not exceed an inch, or the pace will 

 not be smooth and smart, as I have already observed. Very few 

 walkers actually touch one foot with the other, as in the trot, nor 

 do they overreach with violence so as to injure their heels; the 

 only objection, therefore, is to the length of stride, which I have 

 shown to produce an uneasy efiect upon the rider. But whenever 

 the horse appears to move as if his fore feet are in the way of the 

 hind, he will rarely, even with the best tuition, become a pleasant 

 and safe hack. 



The rate op walking is very seldom quite five miles an 

 hour, though horses are to be found which will accomplish the 

 distance in that time, or even less. Many will do a mile in twelve 

 minutes and a half; but to get beyond this is a very difficult task. 

 Indeed, there are few horses which in their walk will bear pressing 

 to the utmost speed of which they are capable, without breaking. 

 It may, I think, be assumed, that the average pace of good walkers 

 is about four miles and a half to four miles and three-quarters 

 per honr. 



THE TROT. 



This pace may be described under three heads, namely, the jog 

 trot, the true trot, and the flying trot. In all three the diagonal 

 limbs move exactly together, but in the first the time during which 

 each foot is on the ground is much greater than that in which it 

 is in the air. In the second the contrary is the case ; while, in the 

 third, the horse is carried completely ofi" his legs for a considerable 



