S86 AMERICAN HORSES. 



Mr. Foster tells me that the fore pasterns of the 

 " standard-bred " are not so long as those of the thorough- 

 bred. As the gallop is a pace of four time (p. 120), con- 

 cussion on the fore legs is greater and the centre of gravity 

 of the body descends lower during each stride, in it, than 

 in the trot, which is a pace of two time (p. 102). Hence, 

 long and sloping pasterns are much more needed by the 

 thorough-bred than by the trotter, because this kind of 

 conformation is of special advantage for diminishing the 

 bad effects of concussion on the fore legs, and for raising 

 the fore-hand. 



As the heavier condition of the shoulders of the trotter 

 is caused by the larger muscular development of the part, 

 the distance between his fore-arms (p. 244) is greater 

 than in the racer. As pointed out on page 69, any undue 

 width between the fore legs would militate against speed 

 in the galloper, because it would tend to keep his fore 

 feet too far apart from each other ; but this drawback is 

 more or less obviated in the fast trotter, by the fore legs 

 being inclined inwards, so that the fore feet come un- 

 usually close together, both when standing and moving. 

 Mr. Foster tells me that it is a very common thing to see 

 fast trotters standing with their fore hoofs touching ; and 

 that, in the case of young ones which are taken up and 

 worked on the track, their fore feet come closer and closer 

 together, as speed increases. Naturally, this peculiarity 

 in the conformation of the trotter increases his liability 

 to hit himself. The action of the hind feet of the trotter 

 remains true, like those of the hunter and racehorse. 



As the height to which the centre of gravity has to be 

 raised at each stride, is less in the trot than in the gallop, 

 a heavy fore-hand is not such a disadvantage to the trotter 

 in this respect, as it is to the thorough-bred. 



One of the best marked peculiarities of standard trotting 

 breds is a tendency to " turn out their toes," which means 

 that the respective directions of the pasterns and hoofs of the 

 fore legs, instead of being parallel (from front to rear), 



