116 THE HORSE BOOK. 



sorts at the great horse shows. The park horse 

 and the carriage horse have the same conforma- 

 tion, but the park horse must have as an ab- 

 solute essential high, snappy action. The step of 

 the carriage horse should be more commanding, 

 as befits his greater size and the heavier vehicle 

 which he pulls. Conformation of these two 

 sorts is of the round-built order, round quar- 

 ters, round barrel, fairly short legs, neat, long, 

 well arched neck, clean cut at the throttle, neat 

 head, sloping shoulders and clean bone, the 

 more the better. 



Typically the correct action of the park horse 

 in front may be described as that the foot should 

 be raised and lowered as though, so to speak, 

 following the rim of a rolling wheel, being 

 brought forward and upward, reaching the 

 ground again in a graceful curve. Many horses 

 can jerk their knees up high and then slam their 

 feet down again on the ground not far from 

 the spot where they picked up, but that is not 

 good action, no matter how high the knee may 

 be hoisted. Similarly some horses can get their 

 knees away up when going at a three-minute 

 clip and not until then. That will not do, for 

 the street traffic regulations do not permit the 

 exhibition of so much speed. The heavy har- 

 ness horse must go high when going slow. The 

 hocks should be kept well together, flexed 

 sharply, brought well upward and the foot 

 thrown forward well under the body. The ac- 



