16 JUDGING LIGHT HOB&ES 



19. Manner of Noting Levelness. The crucial test of the 

 balance of a horse's walk is the side view. Any variation 

 from proper structural proportions results in wobbling, hob- 

 bling or an otherwise uneven walk, and all these are readily 

 seen from the side. The levelness with which a horse walks 

 is one of the best evidences that the legs work in harmony. 

 The most common deflection from this is attributable to a 

 long, slim coupling which gives the onlooker the impression 

 that the horse might break away into two parts near the 

 region of the loin. In defective conformations of this kind 

 the stride of the hind limbs is short and he usually has an 

 uneven, choppy gait that is unsightly as well as ineffectual 

 in covering distances. On the other hand an opposite rela- 

 tion of the parts, close coupling and short back, with long 

 legs, is likely to give use to a slovenly swinging gait, pro- 

 ducing clicking, stumbling or other deficiencies. If there is 

 a flaw in the mechanism of the front legs, it is usually made 

 evident by the movement of the front feet, especially as 

 they are about to touch the ground. If the limb proportions 

 are ungainly the feet do not seem to reach the ground at 

 the proper stage, either turning too much on the heel or 

 not turning enough and precipitating the toe. From be- 

 hind it is easy to observe if the walk of the hind limbs 

 is level thus being free from any hitching, wobbling or 

 unevenness in the stride. 



20. The High Stepper in Action. The highest priced 

 action in the general horse market is that of the high 

 stepper. The peculiarity of this action consists in lifting 

 the knees inordinately high and flexing the hocks so that 

 they come close to the body and keep the legs well under it. 

 From the standpoint of action alone, the higher the knees 

 and the hocks are lifted the more valuable is the horse, pro- 

 vided the type and other features more common are equally 

 satisfactory. The feet must be thrown forward without any 



