208 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



which only a skilful driver can give, and without which condi- 

 tion is useless. 



It is the distinguishing excellence of the American trotter, 

 not merely to make time, but to trot squarely and evenly, 

 moving his legs in true trotting rhythm. In no other country 

 can be found horses capable of trotting a mile in less than two 

 and one-half minutes, and nowhere else such absolutely per- 

 fect trotters as Ethan Allen. The greatest difficulty in the 

 training of trotters is the tendency manifested by most horses, 

 and especially those containing much thorough blood, to go in 

 an irregular or mixed trot, when urged to the top of their 

 speed, which has doubtless given rise to the opinion of many 

 foreigners that the fast trot is the false or unnatural gait. How- 

 ever applicable this remark may be to most horses especially in 

 other countries, it is certain that some horses are natural 

 trotters from their peculiar structure, which is the result of 

 the cultivation of this pace in their progenitors, often for sev- 

 eral generations. Even while sucking colts, they will frequently 

 exhil)it the square, open, long-reaching stride which marks the 

 genuine trotter, and after years of good driving and practice, 

 they can trot faster than they can gallop. 



While Thoroughbred horses rarely bend the fore leg suffi- 

 ciently in trotting, others, and especially the Canadian, throw 

 up the knee in an unsightly and useless manner, wasting power, 

 and appearing to move faster than they actually do. They are 

 often quick and stout, and as they are low and sloping behind 

 and heavy forward, they seem striving to go np rather than 

 onwards, and arc not inappropriately said to " climb." 



Other horses instead of spreading their hind legs and carry- 

 ing both hind feet past the outside of their fore legs in a sym- 

 metrical manner, acquire the awkward habit of throwing one 

 of them between their fore legs, and therefore arc neither square 

 nor level trotters, and are very liable to overreach, or cut the 

 heels or quarters of the fore feet with the hind shoes. These 

 horses are said to " hitch," and many do it in such a way that 

 they seem to trot forward and gallop beliind, and spirited trot- 

 ters are frccpiently forced to this gate by fast driving with a 

 heavy load. The celebrated Orloff trotters of Russia are said 

 to go with astonishing swiftness at this trotting gallop, some- 

 times making fifteen to twenty miles an hour on the road. 



