LOW AND HIGH ACTION. 171 



able attributes, welcome guests at certain dinners 

 and parties, but are the last who would be se- 

 lected as fire-side, bosom friends, where the man 

 of sterling worth proffers his claims, " and has 

 those claims allowed." 



I have, under certain circumstances, and with 

 certain Intentions In view, recommended my reader 

 to " buy no horse with low action," and in such 

 cases I am certain that my advice is good. We 

 will now reverse the picture, and figure to our- 

 selves his saying, " I do not want a horse for mere 

 show : I want merely a gentlemanly, pleasant, 

 safe, and really valuable horse for my own use." 

 Under such circumstances I hope I shall not be 

 said, in vulgar parlance, to " blow hot and then 

 blow cold," if I should say (with very few excep- 

 tions) hiiy no horse with uncommon high action : 

 the exceptions would be his being very fast, and 

 going with very true action, which such horses 

 seldom do. If his action was high, and at the same 

 time slow, I should at once say, do not touch him 

 at any price^ unless you want to ride in the lord 

 mayor's show, or to put him in a hearse, for such 

 an animal Is o;ood for nothlno^ else. 



One of the objections to uncommonly high 

 action Is, that the horse expends those animal 

 powers in show that I want him to exert in speed, 

 or to keep in reserve for a long day, and the dura- 

 bility of his legs, feet, and stamina, these must all 



