586 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



E. Defects existing Indiscriminately in the Four Members. 



1st. Billarder. Billarder (rowing, paddling) is the action of the 

 horse in which, during locomotion, he throws his feet outside of the 

 plane of movement of his members. Usually, all the regions from 

 the canon to the foot participate in this deviation ; at other times, 

 only the regions from the fetlock down are involved. In either 

 circumstance, this peculiarity of locomotion is observed in the poste- 

 rior as well as in the anterior members, and it is incorrect, in our 

 opinion, for authors to consider it as being exclusively confined to the 

 latter. 



As there exists no technical word to characterize this irregularity 

 in the hind-limbs, we propose to designate it by the word paddling in 

 both bipeds indiscriminately. 



The animals which paddle in front are those whose axis of move- 

 ment of the anterior members is deviated, at the level of the knee, 

 outside of the vertical line, or whose feet are turned outward ; such 

 are horses with crooked legs or with ox-knees. 



Horses which paddle behind are affected with an analogous vice of 

 conformation. They include such as are close-hocked, bow-legged, 

 and crooked -legged. 



According to Lecoq, 1 " horses whose feet are wide and flat are more 

 subject to this defect, because they are forced to separate their feet from 

 each other to avoid interfering." 



It is in the walk and in the trot that the defect is especially appar- 

 ent. Besides rendering these gaits ungraceful, it occasions a waste of 

 time and force, and is therefore a serious cause of fatigue and slowness 

 of the gait. Horses thus formed and still capable of speed, owe the 

 latter, if our observations are correct, only to the frequent repetition 

 of their movements ; but it is certain, all things being equal, that they 

 waste more energy. 



2d. Interfering. Interfering is that irregularity in the horse's 

 action in which one of the feet strikes the inferior part of one of the 

 other members. 



This defect, says H. Bouley, 2 has particular degrees and modes, 

 which are designated by different expressions. 



Relative to its degrees, it is said that the horse brushes when the 

 faulty member simply touches the skin, always in the same place, and 



1 Lecoq, Trait6 de 1'exterieur du cheval, etc., 5e 6d., p. 383. 



2 H. Bouley, Nouveau Dictionnaire, etc., t. iv. p. 442. 



