78 WILD TRAITS IN TAME ANIMALS. 



mounted on springs. This is one reason why 

 a thoroughbred is a pleasant animal to ride. 

 Any one who has tried riding a cow or an ox 

 has found the difference between the stubby 

 jogging gait of these animals and the free elastic 

 movement of the horse. 



We find that amongst the horses of Arab 

 and Barb descent the pastern-joints are longer 

 and more springy than among the breeds in- 

 digenous to Eastern Europe. This is what 

 might be expected ; for the desert horse has 

 frequently to traverse hard rocky ground, and 

 moreover has been used during many genera- 

 tions for rapid travelling, whereas the progeny 

 of the native European horses (such, for instance, 

 as the common cart-horse and the Welsh pony) 

 have been used to grass-covered surfaces from 

 time immemorial, and have generally been em- 

 ployed in slow work on the land since they were 

 impressed into human service. 



The importance of these natural means of 

 avoiding undue vibration to a highly oro-anised 

 creature like the horse can be judged by those 

 who have ridden both a modern improved 

 bicycle and an old-fashioned "bone-shaker." 

 Continual jarring is always most exhaustino- and 



