ACTION 35 



the excessiveness of the action. The craze for 

 high action at any cost is not so rampant as it 

 used to be some years ago. Horse-show pro- 

 moters became wearied of seeing their premiums 

 for action carried off by acrobatic monstrosi- 

 ties, and it caused them to modify the wording of 

 their prize lists and call for all-aroimd goers with 

 twenty-five per cent, for conformation. The 

 horse that winds his legs about, "straddles," 

 "points," "rolls," "spreads behind," "waddles," 

 or drags his hind legs, is no longer in favor with 

 the good judge, no matter how excessive his 

 action. 



The character of the action is a very impor- 

 tant factor in determining the amount of wear 

 and tear a horse will stand. To become a good 

 judge of action is not such an easy matter as 

 might be imagined. There are many who have a 

 good eye for a horse, and, in fact, are, in a meas- 

 ure, good judges, who cannot intelligently criti- 

 cize a horse's action from different standpoints. 

 There are many who are taken with flashy action, 

 which, as a rule, enhances the market value of a 

 horse possessing it, but is very apt to be asso- 

 ciated with greater defects from a utilitarian 

 standpoint than that which is less attractive. In 

 estimating the quality of action correctly in dif- 

 ferent individuals one has to have an ideal. How 

 seldom in sitting behind a horse and closely ob- 



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