PHYSICAL CONFORMATION. 69 



Generally, we may state the proposition, that the horse with low 

 hocks is a trotter from impulse, and that one with elevated hocks is a 

 galloper, also from impulse. The horse whose hock is far from his hip 

 and whirlbone, the pivots on which he rotates — the fulcrum on which 

 his muscles rest, like levers, to lift his body — gallops with great effort. 

 If his hock was as low as his ankle, he could not gallop at all; but 

 with a hock half-way between ankle and hip, he makes two levers, 

 instead of one so long, and by the double action of each combined, 

 he lifts his body and casts it forward. In case of the short cannon, 

 and the iDroportionally increased length above the hock, he finds him- 

 self impelled by instinct, resulting from that form of leverage, to 

 choose the trot ratl:er than the gallop, and to hold it to the utmost 

 speed it will afford him. Moreover, when the length from hip to hock 

 is increased, not only is it easier to trot than gallop, but his length of 

 stride (of hind leg) is also increased; he covers ground, not only with 

 ease, but with rapidity, for each stroke is a long one. This position 

 of the hock, higli or low, however, affects two members, or points — 

 the line from hip to hock, and the length of thigh — or line from point 

 of stifle to the point of hock. Moreover, either one of these lines 

 may be long, and the other short, in the same animal, or both may be 

 long or short. And there are certain peculiarities of certain families 

 that follow in breeding with g-reat certaintv. Thus, the Messeno-er 

 horse had a thigh, and a length from hip to hock, that was exceed- 

 ingly uniform in its ratio — being a thigh of about 23 inches, and a 

 measure of 39 inches from hip to hock, in a horse 15 hands 2 inches, 

 or 15 hands 3 inches; but when the Duroc cross came in, the thigh, 

 in most cases, was lengthened out to 24 and 24^, without any increase 

 in the other lever; as in the Almonts, Thorndales, Swigerts, Black- 

 woods, and the Star Hambletonians; but when the cross of the Clay 

 and Bellfounder horse — known as Sayer's Harry Clay — came in, the 

 lentjth of thio-h was slia-htlv increased, while the other line was extend- 

 ed to 40 and even 42 inches, with wonderful uniformity. 



Imported Bellfounder, who possessed probably the most perfect 

 trotting action of any horse ever on this continent, was a horse with a 

 low hock — long from hip to hock — and tolerably long thigh; probably 

 as 40 for the first line, and 24 for the latter. This conclusion is 

 reached only by a study of his descendants. 



Hambletoniaii, nn in-l^red Messenger, with one-quarter of his com- 

 position that of Bellfounder, was 24 and 41 ; but the majority — I may 

 say the generality — of his sons and daughters run back to or near 23 



