JUDGING HORSES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. 



21 



walk throughout the day. The student should note the horse as he 

 moves away at a walk. The walk should be straight, rapid, and well 

 controlled. The joints should be fully flexed, and the hoofs turned 

 up so that the shoe shows plainly. The hocks should be carried 

 neither too wide nor too close together. The student should also 

 note the horse carefully as he comes back at a walk. The feet should 

 be lifted with a snap and move straight ahead. The flexing of the 

 knee should not result in any outward spreading. The horse should 

 also be taken past the students at a walk, when the length of the 

 stride and the flexing of the joints may be noted to better advantage. 



Fig. 13. — Judging action. Horse moving toward student at a walk. 



Trot. — The trotting of the horse should be noted likewise as the 

 horse is moving away, as he is coming toward the student, and as he 

 is passing by. The action should be even and well balanced and 

 should show spirit. If the feet are brought down too close together 

 there may be interfering; if they are spread too wide there will be 

 a spraddling gait. When the legs are placed too wide on the body 

 there will be an undesirable rolling gait. The joints should be flexed 

 well, that there may be no danger from stumbling. The stride should 

 be long and even, and the feet brought down so that the heel meets 

 the ground first. This latter action is associated with pasterns of 

 good slope and gives a spring not associated with short, upright pas- 

 terns. 



