476 BLACKWOOD AND SWIGERT. 



front is really splendid. The Blackwoods and Swigorts bend their 

 knees, raise them high, but do not thrOw the feet out so well in front; 

 and when they bring them down, they do it with a short, chopping 

 stroke, that causes the foot to strike the ground sharply. In fact, they 

 seem almost to strike backward, and often strike the quarters. This 

 defect — for such it is — exists in this family in some degree, but not 

 so greatly as in many others, and particularly far less than in the noted 

 trotting stallion which forms the subject of Chapter XX. In their 

 case, proper shoeing will, in great part, remedy the defect, and prac- 

 tice will overcome it so far that it shall not seriously operate against 

 them as a family of trotters. I do not regard it as a blemish or seri- 

 ous fault, but it is even more objectionable than the faulty action of 

 the hindquarters, as in that case the fault is simjDly one of excessive 

 action, which, in a sire is not very objectionable, as he will be expect- 

 ed to secure a strong and decided trotting gait in the produce of 

 mares that lack in trotting action. But more trotting horses fail in 

 their forelegs than in their hind ones, and the reason is, they strike 

 the ground so hard with their feet, that the concussion is a greater 

 strain than that involved in the propelling action of the hind legs. 

 Moreover, a horse thus defectively constructed can not get his front 

 feet out at all times readily enough to steady him in a raj^id gait; he 

 loses his foot, and breaks, and such an one can not be a good or 

 ready breaker. When forced to gallop, he can not skip along and 

 catch again, bvit gallops so high that he can only catch again in the 

 trotting gait when his rate of speed is much reduced. The trotter 

 that is evenly made up in front, with proper length of cannon and 

 forearm, rarely breaks; and when he does, he catches again readily, 

 and loses nothing, or little, either way. As a family of trotters, I 

 would prefer them with less of what we call vigorous trotting action 

 — they would make more speed with less show and effort. 



The one feature of this family that stands out prominently, is their 

 ready and high trotting quality. They seem to take to it readily and 

 very young, the latter quality having been inherited through their 

 Mambrino Chief dams. These two stallions also seem to have the 

 faculty of engrafting a trotting gait on the produce of thoroughbred 

 mares, much like that of Almont; but I have not seen enough of 

 their produce from such mares to enable me to say that they have the 

 faculty in equal degree. Aside from the exceptions of gait, above 

 mentioned, these two stallions seem to embody many of the traits, 

 characteristics and qualities of old Messenger, as I gather them from 



