72 PHILOSOPHY OF TROTTING. 



the individual produce of each separately. I may now only in general 

 point to the above mentioned as those who represent or illustrate the 

 rule here referred to. This particular feature seems to be the true 

 trotting leverage, and those families that have long been kept for road 

 or trotting purposes have undoubtedly developed in that direction. 

 They have acquired long and strong thighs, and the hock has been 

 placed nearer to the ground. 



Such was the characteristic feature of Bellfounder, and this pecu- 

 liarity marked the mare Mrs. Caudle, the maternal head of a great 

 and distinctively marked branch of the family of Mambrino Chief. 

 The opposite or short leverage is that which belongs to the galloper, 

 and he carries his muscle of the hindquarters at a greater elevation 

 than the trotter. Use and continuous employment in a particular 

 way develop the organs or limbs called into action by such use, and 

 thus adaptation and capacity increase by the same law of develop- 

 ment. 



I like a thigh of fair, but not excessive length — 23 to 24 inches, 

 but no longer — and if a long one, then I want the hock well let down 

 — a long line from hip to hock, 24 and 40, or even 41 — but the long 

 reach in this direction may also amount to a dwelling action. Until 

 it approaches that, I want to see a horse's hock low down and far out 

 behind when extended. I don't like one that lifts his hock and strikes 

 the cross bar of a sulky. Such fellows will display an excess of 

 motion, and trotters that have excessive motion in any respect have 

 a conformation that is unnecessarily exposed to wear and tear. The 

 smooth, easy going fellows, that go much faster than they really 

 appear to go, are the ones for the long race. Such will be found to 

 possess the middle ground of conformation, front and rear, which I have 

 described. But in this connection it is proper to advert to the fact, 

 that of the two classes — those that have long thighs and also those 

 that are low down in the hock, that is, have a long line from hip to 

 hock, such as the Duroc-Messenger and the Bellfounder, and part of 

 the Clay cross, and the other or second class that show less apparent 

 action, and possess a shorter trotting leverage in all respects, which 

 class includes the Abdallahs and such of the Messengers and Clays as 

 are not affected by the Duroc and Bellfounder cross — the former trot 

 easier and show more of a natural and ready adaptation to the trotting 

 gait; bufe the latter train on the longest and arrive ultimately at the 

 highest and most enduring distinction as great trotters. Such appears^ 

 to be a clearly established peculiarity. Bellfounder was, I have no 



