CORRECT ACTION IN HORSES 



WHILE it is the intention of this article to en- 

 deavor to picture ideally good action, by which 

 wear and tear and loss of power are reduced to a 

 minimum, it is not intended to decry the pos- 

 session for certain purposes, by a horse, of what 

 is usually called high action. To render horses 

 attractive for show and for pleasure purposes 

 it is a highly desirable quality and very much 

 increases their market value. The good horse- 

 man would much prefer, however, to sit behind a 

 horse with moderate action, that raises his feet, 

 advances them in a straight line with stride 

 enough to insure desirable progress yet not so 

 much that the feet cannot be put down squarely 

 every part bearing its proper proportion of 

 weight and striking the ground lightly, than one 

 with excessive but markedly defective action. 

 High action, like other qualities possessed in a 

 high degree, is very apt to be associated with de- 

 fects that detract from its perfection and lessen 

 a horse's wearing quality. The ill-consequences 

 of these defects are intensified in direct ratio to 



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