474 BLACKWOOD AND SWTGERT. ' 



his hind feet under his body, I must add, that the shortness of his 

 measure prevents their advance as far as I like — but there is no sprawl. 

 The muscular build of the Almonts causes them to lift less than some 

 others, yet they lift too high, and in the case of Blackwood and Swigert, 

 the fault is a decided one. 



The question has been asked, Is there any true proportion or 

 measure for a perfect trotter? I answer, there is;, and there are some 

 stallions that come very near to the true proportion. The Abdallah 

 and Messenger standard of 39 — 23 is about as near the proportion as 

 can be selected. A stallion that has a thigh 24 inches, should not be 

 less than 40 to 41 inches from hip to hock. This was Hambletonian's 

 and Volunteer's j^roportion. Florida is 24 — 39 j, and Governor Sprague 

 is 23| — 39^:, and those stallions move as near right as any that can be 

 selected. Smuggler is 24 — 40, and no finer action behind was ever 

 witnessed than he dis23lays. Lady Thorn, with her 23 inch thigh, and 

 42 inches from hip to hock, had a gait that was the marvel of all who 

 beheld it. The Harry Clay family all have a conformation approaching 

 this measure. Such a measure Avill trot very close — hocks very low, 

 never lifted in the rear, the feet far under the body.. 



These horses that have the excessive length of thigh, show a great 

 deal of trotting action when young — and at slow paces it is very at- 

 tractive — but when one of these showy fellows is compelled to go in 

 fast time, the great difficulty of handling his long levers begins to tell 

 upon the crowded space in which he must perform his evolutions, and 

 the muscle with which he accomplishes them. When his stifle is 

 thumping against his sides, and he is compelled to double up his long 

 members, after the fashion of the toy called a jumping jack^ in the 

 quickest sort of time, he is apt to make some false motions, and the 

 result is, a gait that is called broken or wabbling, half-gallop, half-trot; 

 or, gallop with one foot, and trot with the other. 



These so-called broken-gaited horses all trot very nicely until 

 crowded for fast motion, then their machinery does not fold together 

 readily, and they make false motions, and go unsteadily. On the other 

 hand, a horse that is 24 — 40, or 23 — 39, or 23| — 39^, and, at the same 

 time muscled as Albemarle, Sprague or Grant, can trot fast without 

 hitching or hobbling, and none of these horses lift their hocks high, or 

 go with a sprawling gait. They trot level and true, and set their feet 

 well under the body, only opening behind wide enough to pass clearly 

 and readily. 



AUie West, the fastest of the Almonts, had a grandamby Downing's 



