WORK. 33 



most useful as a means of exercise. It is a very suit 

 able manner of " taking the rough edge off," or bring- 

 ing down the superabundant spirits of horses that have 

 been confined to the stable for some time by weather or 

 other similar cause producing restiveness, and is pecu- 

 liarly adapted for exercising harness-horses where it 

 may not be safe or expedient to ride them. 



WOEK. 



The master on the road or in the field using his 

 bearer for convenience or pleasure, will do him less 

 injury in a day than a thoughtless ignorant servant will 

 contrive to accomplish in an hour when only required 

 to exercise the beast. 



To the advice already given, never to allow your 

 horses to be galloped or cantered on a hard surface, it 

 is well to add, refrain from doing so yourself. -On the 

 elastic turf these paces do comparatively little harm ; 

 but for the road, and indeed all ordinary usage, except 

 hunting or racing, the trot or walk is the proper pace. 

 My impression coincides with that of many experienced 

 sportsmen, that one mile of a canter on a hard surface 

 does more injury to the frame and legs of a horse, than 

 twenty miles' walk and trot : for this reason, that in 

 the act of walking or trotting the off fore and near hind 

 feet are on the ground at the same moment alternately 

 wdth the other two, thus dividing the pressure of weight 

 and propulsion on the legs more than even ambling, 

 w^hich is a lateral motion; while in anything approach- 

 ing to the canter or gallop, the two fore feet and legs 

 have at the same moment to bear the entire w^eight of 



