58 



and other horses. It follows that, in criticising 

 action, attention must be paid to the breeding of the 

 horse; but in both classes it may be safely laid down 

 as a maxim, that a bold and decided motion from 

 the shoulder is good, especially if the head is well 

 and evenly carried ; the knee should be fairly bent, 

 the foot placed firmly and fearlessly on the ground, 

 and the toes in a direct line with the body, neither 

 inclining to the one side nor the other. The hind 

 legs should be well "gathered" under the body, 

 with the toes fairly raised from the ground, and the 

 hind feet spread pretty accurately in the impress of 

 the fore feet. If they pass beyond, the agreeable 

 accompaniment, vulgarly termed " hammer and 

 click," is very likely to be heard ; not when the 

 horse is show^n, for there are easy means of pre- 

 venting its being audible, as allowing the toe of 

 the hind foot to extend a little over the shoe. 

 This noise is made by the hind shoe striking 

 against the interior rim of the fore shoe, so that if 

 the horn of the hind foot covers the iron, the col- 

 lision with the fore shoe remains, but is inaudible : 

 when the horse has been ridden for a week or two, 

 the hind toe becomes worn away, and then the 

 iron strikes audibly as usual. 



If the toes of the hind feet " drag the ground," 

 it is a defect indicative of disease in the hocks ; a 



