HITCHING IN HORSES 



OF the many defects of action that horses show, 

 one that detracts very much from the graceful- 

 ness of movement in the trot and walk is "hitch- 

 ing." It is a peculiar hopping movement which 

 results from a lack of power, or from defective 

 balance. It is said that good cooks are born, not 

 made. Exactly the opposite is the case with 

 "hitchers"; they are made, not born, although 

 there is no doubt that some colts are foaled with 

 a predisposition to "hitch." Still, even then, it 

 may be kept in abeyance by good handling. The 

 causes of "hitching," then, may be said to be pre- 

 disposing and exciting. Of the predisposing 

 ones the most prolific is the want of power and 

 freedom of movement in the hindquarter. Cat- 

 hammed horses, those with short hindquarters, 

 and those that stand with their hocks too far be- 

 hind them, are very liable to "hitch." Bad 

 driving is a cause that frequently contributes to 

 this fault. Some drivers will make almost every 

 young horse they handle get into the habit, for 



it becomes almost a habit in some individuals. 



20 



