A MODEL FORM. 409 



appearance of a large horse; but when I saw him after his return 

 from his Eastern contests, in 187G, I visited him, in company with 

 a gentleman who is one of the best judges of quality in a real good 

 horse I know of, and his first word was an expression of surpiise. 

 "Why," said he, " he will do. You can hitch him to a stone-boat." 



The physical conformation of Governor Sprague is well worthy our 

 most attentive and careful study. Calling attention again to the 

 statement so often made that trotters go in all forms, let us also call 

 •especial attention to the other fact, that they also go in all sorts of 

 ways — from the very worst possible for the trotting gaft, to the best 

 that has yet been attained. Let me also here repeat the important 

 ■enunciation, that this matter of gait is, in the greater part, yea, almost 

 altogether, the result of physical conformation, and the very reason 

 that trotters go in all sorts of ways is the same fact that they go in all 

 forms. But, as there is a way of going that approaches perfection, 

 so there is a form that also approaches perfection, and the two are 

 found together, the one the result of the other. 



Governor Sprague is a horse of medium size — weighs 1,0G0 pounds, 

 and in full form may reach 1,100; not over 15 hands 2 inches, and not 

 so high on the rump as on the withers. His neck is 30 inches in length, 

 and his back 28 inches. His even, steady, trotting gait — to which I 

 shall call attention hereafter — is the result of his leverao-e, both front 

 and rear, and the one is as important and as essential to the perfectly 

 gaited horse as the other. In the progress of these chapters, I have 

 called attention to the faults as w^ell as the excellences of each animal, 

 in each case pointing to and suggesting the perfect model, if it could 

 be anywhere found. I need not recur to each of these separately, 

 farther than to say that, in some cases, I found defective action in front 

 as the result of a misproportion in the relative length of the forearm 

 and the front cannon; that in some it Avas found that a thigh relatively 

 too long produced too much action, or excessive action, for the 

 smoothly- working and lasting trotter; in some, both of these defects, 

 to a greater or less extent, were combined. If the principles there 

 ■enunciated were correct, they pointed to or suggested that there might 

 be a faultless model, if any such could in reality be found; and it 

 remains in this chapter to ascertain if the model under consideration 

 combines the requisite conditions of harmony and success indicated. 

 Governor Sprague in his front leverage has a front cannon 11 inches, 

 and a forearm 21 inches — the same precisely as the stallion Florida, and 

 very nearly the same as the Volunteers of the same height. He has 



