330 I'HE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



driver. This vehicle is not suspended ; a pair of very large light 

 wheels, an axle, and two shafts form the whole, which does not weigh 

 more than twenty-five kilogrammes." ^ 



In construction and lightness the skeleton resembles the sulky very 

 much, but it has four wheels and is not very high. 



In Russia and in England the trotters in harness are often utilized 

 with the vehicles of which we have just spoken ; in America, princi- 

 pally in the United States, a skeleton a little modified, known under 

 the name of buggy, is used, which the French vulgarly call araignee 

 (spider), because of its aspect, or mort-subite (sudden death), on account 

 of the dangers to which it exposes the driver when rounding the turns. 

 In Norway, the Norwegians employ it ; in cold countries, in general, 

 the sleigh is used. 



Height. — The ordinary height of these horses varies from 1.52 

 metres to 1.65 metres. 



Conformation.— The animal should be harmonious, unblemished, 

 well constructed in the body and in the members. Withers rather low 

 and loins slightly weak may be overlooked, but a powerful croup, 

 thighs, buttocks, legs, and hocks are essential ; also, long neck, shoulders, 

 and forearms ; not too horizontal in the croup ; normal inclinations of 

 the superior segments of the members ; width, height, and depth of 

 the chest ; wide, thick, neat, and clean articulations ; in a word, all the 

 charactei-s of a beautiful conformation. It is especially when in motion 

 that a trotter can be judged. By his actions, lengthened, close to the 

 ground, and regular, by the extent and complete projection of the an- 

 terior members, and by the energetic action of the hind members, he 

 will manifest in the best way his aptitude as a trotter. 



We give as an example of this variety (Fig. 335) the portrait of 

 Fazan, a Russian stallion of great value, presented to the Emperor 

 Napoleon III. by Czar Alexander II. at the time of the Universal 

 Exposition in 1867. 



Finally, with respect to education or training, he should be accus- 

 tomed to preserve the trotting gait during the whole duration of the 

 race. The rules specify formally that every horse which breaks (runs) 

 is obliged to resume the trot immediately. This change from a fast 

 gait into another less fast always causes loss of time and a consider- 

 able slackening of speed. Subjects of the first rank are not wanting in 

 number, which have the greatest difficulty in winning a prize, because 



1 Belvalette et Quenay, Rapport du jury international de TExposition universelle de 1878 

 (section de la carrosserie et du charronnage), p. 46, Paris, Imp. nat., 1880. 



