22 ESSAYS ON HORSE SUBJECTS 



heavy, unyielding grip of the reins, or else holds 

 them unsteadily, either of which causes is apt to 

 put a horse off his balance. 



The uninitiated are apt to mistake "hitching" 

 for lameness, and it is very hard to persuade them 

 to the contrary, especially if a horse keeps doing 

 it persistently. It is not an unsoundness, how- 

 ever, for there is no lesion necessarily of the ex- 

 tremity "hitched." Habitual "hitching" is a 

 fault or defect, just the same as other defects of 

 action and "forging" are faults. 



If a horse is a persistent "hitcher," however, 

 he might almost as well be lame, as far as the un- 

 sightliness of the gait is concerned. In good 

 hands, however, there is not much fear of it be- 

 coming habitual, and if it has become so from 

 any cause, it can usually be remedied by good 

 handling. 



In standing about sale and show rings, we fre- 

 quently hear onlookers say that such and such 

 a horse is going lame behind, when in reality he 

 is only "hitching." At sale and show times 

 horses are frequently urged and pulled together 

 to a degree very apt to put them off their balance, 

 especially when they are called upon to keep 

 making short turns. Some horses, even at the 

 walk, will persistently "hitch" in being ridden in 

 a ring when sharply bitted. Horses may be seen 

 to drag and hop on one hind leg in going around 



