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. 
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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. 
