470 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



at the school at Alfort for the stud in 1817, balanced liimself upon 

 his hocks as soon as he saw the mare on the ground, and walked to her 

 in this bipedal position.' 



Vallon" mentions that there was, at a certain period, a stallion, 

 named Molok, which walked upon his hind-feet for almost a minute 

 before mounting the mare. He has seen at Paris a horse, ridden by 

 a woman, walk over quite a long space upon his posterior members. 



Concerning our own experience, we have known a small stallion, 

 of Spanish origin, which was exhibited at a circus in Paris, and 

 which, having reared, walked across the ring, ascended a flight of 

 stairs consisting of fourteen steps, described a circle upon a platform, 

 descended the staircase, and walked across the rino; without falling 

 upon his fore-members. 



A repetition of rearing is very fatiguing, especially to the loins, the 

 hocks, and the fetlocks. It is also common to see in such horses, par- 

 ticularly stallions, sway-backedness as well as premature blemishes of 

 the articulations of the hind-limbs. 



The horses which rear without any purpose are the most danger- 

 ous ; we will speak of this when treating of vicious horses. 



B. — Kicking. 



Kicking is an action opposite to that of rearing. The horse which 

 kicks suddenly elevates his hind-quarters upon the fore-quarters, and 

 forcibly throws the two posterior members backward for the purpose 

 of attacking or defending himself, or of dismounting his rider, some- 

 times from simple impatience to act or from playfulness. It is allied 

 to certain progressive movements, such as leaping, galloping, etc. 



Kicking, like rearing, is executed in two periods : the preparation 

 and the action (Fig. 170). 



First Period. — There is first a very rapid drawing together 

 of the bipeds with a view of shortening the base of support when the 

 kick is to be low ; a separation, on the contrary, by drawing the 

 anterior members forward, if the animal intends to kick verv high : 

 without the latter precaution he will be liable to fall upon his knees in 

 the latter act. 



At the same time, the head and the neck are suddenly lowered in 

 such a manner as to project the centre of gravity forward and carry a 

 large portion of the weight of the trunk upon the anterior bipeds, in 



' Girard. Anatomie v^Wrinaire, 4e 6d., Paris, 1841, t. i. p. 435. 

 » Vallon, Cours d'hippologie, Saumur, 1863, t. i. p. 484. 



