118 THE PERFECT HORSE. 



himself; but, other things being equal, you may expect 

 that the sire will give his action to his colts. I might 

 mention horses remarkable for this, — horses that mark 

 their colts so decidedly with their action, that it alone is 

 sufficient to designate their parentage. Such a horse, if 

 his style of going is good, is invaluable to the breeder. 

 I emphasize "style of going," because many stallions 

 that trot, and trot fast too, do not trot loell Consider- 

 able speed can and does often co-exist with a faulty 

 action ; and this should be noted. A great many stal- 

 lions trot too wide ; that is, they have too open a gait. 

 Such an action is faulty ; and the reason is this : It is 

 necessary, as all admit, that, in speeding, the action of 

 the hind-legs should be wide enough to allow the feet 

 to pass outside of the forward-legs. This is indispensa- 

 ble. But it should be borne in mind that every inch 

 of lateral action requires exertion, costs effort, and ex- 

 hausts strength; and that the horse should be gaited, 

 therefore, so as to "open up" no wider than is abso- 

 lutely necessary in order to get safely by his fore-legs ; 

 for every inch of side-action beyond this is unneces- 

 sary, and a source of exhaustion, when every ounce of 

 strength is needed to bring him home in time. What 

 we want is motion in a straight line^ or as near a straight 

 line as the circumstances of the case will permit ; and he 

 is the best horse who "spreads" enough to go clear and 

 free, and stops there. I hold, therefore, that these over- 

 wide-gaited horses are of faulty action. They and their 

 get show excellently on the exercise-ground, or when led 



