452 Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



Proper folding of the knee meets only half of the requirement. 

 Associated with this, there should be a decided flexing of the hock. 

 The hind foot will leave the ground with snap and free movement of 

 pastern, and the hock will be carried, not backward, but upward to- 

 ward the dock, to accomplish which the hock must be flexed very 

 decidedly. 



Action is so valuable in the heavy-harness horse that breeders and 

 dealers often resort to artificial means to secure it in horses which are 

 deficient in their movement. Heavy shoes produce height of action. 

 The toe is allowed to grow out long which also adds weight to the foot 

 and requires more effort on the part of the horse in breaking over as 



^ >w 



Fig. 172. — Sensational action. Little Ruby, a champion Hackney pony 

 stallion owned in England. 



he takes a stride, so that when he does break over the extra force tends 

 to carry the foot higher and farther away. No matter how natural it 

 may be for a horse to go high, he still requires proper shoeing, bitting, 

 training, and driving, in order that his inherent ability may be de- 

 veloped. Even after the horse is "made," as the saying goes, if he is 

 placed in the hands of an inexperienced reinsman, unskilled in driving 

 heavy-harness horses, the result will be a failure. The trained 

 carriage horse responds superbly under the guidance of the master 

 reinsman. Given proper aids from word, whip, and rein, the horse in- 

 stinctively responds with the best performance of which he is capable. 



