The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-03-05
SHORTLEGGED ANIMALS.

Our most judicious farmers prefer the shortest
legged neat stock both for milk sand for labor
and many are beginning to doubt whether even
II long leg horse is better than one with short
legs. They lave formed their Judgment by ey-
pcrience. the only true test IN all matters OF this
kind. Many learned arguments may be adduc-
ell i'll favor of long legs, and if the community
should come TO the conclusion on the subject by
mere reasoning, without regard to experience,
we believe long legs would be the most popular
candidates for farmers favor, both for the yoke
and for the dairy, and ws'shCuld conclude that
the horse especially could travel so fast with
short legs as with long ones; but on considering
the subject well we find II philosophical reason
in favor of short legs for travelling, and this APP
plies to animals OF all descl iptions. In moving
forward, n man commonly advances one foot at a
>iMe it he takes long step his body sinks, tor
his supporters are not perpendicular when he
brings up the other foot, his body rises and sinks
again AS he advances it forward OF the first foot
thus at every step his body rises aud sinks
that is, moves i'll Il curved liue--it describes the
arc of circle of which the leg is ii radius, or
spoke as a wheelw wright says Now the farther
he strides the lower his body sinks anu the great
er must be the effort to bring it up agan-hs
whole body is continually rising and falling
while he walks, so that he looses ground by his
deviation from a straight line. And the longer
his legs are the more he deviates from that line,
anu the greater effort is required to raise the bo
and no rim-it will he constantly rising and fall
ing while yon roll it on-take one now with
eight spokes and its deviation from n right line
will not be half so great MS that of the first, and
the longer these spokes are the greater the devil
alton in either case. With four spokes and no
rim the hub of your wheel III passing describes
a track much like that of our improved new roads
that require no other deviation from right line
than the mounting of hills and the sinking into
valIies.
Horses or other animals with long legs n,tu-
uraly take longer steps than others, thus their
bodies have farther to travel and a greater effort
is required to bring them up again after sinking
below their level. So much for theory. Now
for fact experience. The officers Of our revo-
lutionary army discovered that the Short legged
soldiers and especially those that stepped short,
were less iatgued on march than others were.
Isaac How of Framingham, who now is nearly
80 years of age, entered the army in l775 at the
age of 16 He served through the war and was
most excellent soldier-he was also one OF the
best laborers that we ever hired. He has often
told us that it was common saying in the ar
my,-'the soldier that steps short Is least falig.
ned on march"
We have uniformly found that short legged
horses were every way to he preterted-aIid
that of long legged ones those were best that
took the shortest strides. Low horses handle
their feet best for they ar nearer TO them. They
stumble least for the stumbling blocks are near
er their sight-and if they fall their fall Is not
great like that Of the high house Of the foolish
nan-not like that of Lucler-ncver 10 rise
again.
Cows with short legs are observed to have
better nd'lers than Others and their trunks are
better formed to make room for tic lungs.
Their tails are longer in proportion and they
more easily brush the flies from their bind feet,
so much exposed 10 the afternoon calls OF those
IhquSltive visitors.-Boston CuLtirator.