192 THE HORSE BOOK. 



in some instances, indirectly in others, and the 

 seemingly endless discussion about the wisdom 

 of using the runner to breed the trotter still 

 prevails even unto this day. It is a subject at 

 most only prolific of argument and invective 

 and barren of result. It does not concern us. 



Pacers we seem always to have had with us. 

 The historic amble of the riding palfrey in 

 mediseval times was transmuted into the more 

 decided sidewheel gait on American soil, where 

 it took kindly root, and from time to time pacers 

 were imported from Canada which founded 

 families, now mostly swallowed up in the great 

 whirlpool of the harness race horse. Time was 

 when there was a distinctive ^ spacing conforma- 

 tion,'' marked by a very drooping rump and 

 a peculiar set of the hind legs. Now the gaits 

 seem interchangeable to a very large extent 

 and, breeding trotter to trotter, no man knows 

 whether the foal will trot or pace when it ar- 

 rives. The mere shift of the check a hole or 

 two or the addition or subtraction of an ounce 

 or 'two in the weight of the shoe will convert 

 many a horse from the trot to the pace and vice 

 versa. This interchangeability of gait is one of 

 those things no man can understand. It should 

 be understood of course that the trotter pro- 

 gresses diagonally — that is, he advances the 

 fore foot on one side and the hind foot on the 

 other at the same time, while the pacer advances 

 the feet on the same side at the same time. 



