THE WALK. 85 



ground slightly before the heel in a large proportion of cases. In 

 the walk I am quite satisfied that Mr. Lupton and his followers 

 are right, and that the heel is presented to the ground in all good 

 walkers, but so slightly first as to escape the notice of careless 

 observers. If the toe is not raised it is apt to tip the inequalities 

 of the ground, and we have that disagreeable sensation of inse- 

 curity in the walk which a bad hack invariably gives. Many 

 horses go very close to the ground, but if the extensors turn the 

 toe well up in bringing the leg forward, however closely to the 

 ground it is carried, it is safely deposited on it. On the contrary, 

 a high action, with the heel raised, is never safe, either on the 

 walk or the trot. It is quite contrary to the experience of horse- 

 men out of the veterinary profession to assert that either toe-action 

 or heel-action is invariably met with in sound horses, and I believe 

 the facts to be as I have stated them. That in laminitis the toe 

 is raised in an exaggerated form no one will deny, but the extent 

 is far greater than any one supposes to exist in a healthy foot. 

 I have possessed one or two horses which, though perfectly sound, 

 would wear out the heels of their shoes before their toes, and one 

 of them was a high-stepping mare with remarkably good feet. Now 

 the friction in all cases after the foot is put down must be greater 

 on the toe than the heel, because it scrapes the ground, more or 

 less, as it leaves it. When, therefore, the heel is worn out first, it 

 proves that this part touches the ground first, though the converse 

 does not hold good, for the reason which I have given. 



Having discussed these two questions, I come now to examine 

 what is done in each movement of the legs, independently of the 

 order of their going, and of the above toe and heel controversy, 

 and shall proceed to consider in what the good walk differs from 

 the bad. 



Writers on the horse divide each movement of the leg into 

 three acts, consisting of the lift, the swing, and the grounding. 

 In the first act, the foot is raised; in the second, it is thrust for- 

 ward ; and in the third, it is firmly but lightly deposited on the 

 ground. But these may severally be well performed, and yet the 

 horse be a bad walker, because his body is not well balanced on 

 the legs in contact with the ground while the other or others are 

 moving. A good walker should take short quick steps, with his 

 hind legs well under him, and then he will be able to plant his fore 

 feet firmly but lightly on the ground in succession. If his stride is 

 too long, his hind legs cannot be always well under him, because they 

 must be wide apart when both are on the ground; and the body can- 

 not then be balanced securely, because there is too long an interval 

 elapsing while the one hind leg is passing the other. Hence, in such 

 a horse, there is a waddling movement from side to side, so often 

 seen in the thorough-bred horse, whose full tail shows it very mani- 

 b 



